Film Production Houses To Form ICC Under POSH Act, Political Parties Exempted: Kerala HC

The directives were issued in a series of PILs seeking to establish a grievance redressal process against sexual harassment in organisations in the film industry and many political parties.

Kerala High Court | PTI File Image

New Delhi: The Kerala High Court issued a plethora of directives on Thursday on the need of establishing Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) in organisations and production units in the film industry, as well as political parties, Bar and Bench reported.

A Division Bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly ruled that, in addition to production firms that directly employ actors, organisations associated with the film industry must keep ICC if they employ 10 or more people to manage office establishments and employ women for salaries.

However, political parties that do not have an employer-employee connection with their members and are not engaged in any private endeavour, undertaking, enterprises, institution, establishment, etc. in the context of a 'workplace' are not required to keep ICC.

The Court issued its decision in a group of PIL petitions filed by multiple organizations seeking to establish a grievance redressal mechanism against sexual harassment in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions in Vishakha v. State of Rajasthan and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013. (POSH Act)

Despite the fact that the Court clarified the extent to which organisations subject to the provisions of the POSH Act are required to form Internal Committees, it expressed its desire that organisations associated with the film industry take steps to form a joint committee by including members of organisations registered with them in accordance with the provisions of the POSH Act.

"(This) would definitely render sufficient confidence to women Actor Artists and other employees & other workers employed by the production unit; which would, in turn, protect the dignity, and make the right to life and personal liberty of the women in the film industry more meaningful and fruitful," the Court was quoted by Bar and Bench in its report.

(With Inputs From Bar and Bench)