The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993

The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, was passed by the Parliament of India on January 8, 1994. It provides for the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission, State Human Rights Commissions and Human Rights Courts to protect these rights and ensure speedy trials in the case of violations. It extends to the whole of India.‘Human rights’ are defined as those relating to the “life, liberty, equality and dignity” of an individual, which are stipulated either by the Constitution of India or specified international instruments, and are enforceable by courts in India.In the Act, ‘International Covenants’ refers to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), and any other United Nations Convention as the central government may notify. (The UN General Assembly adopted the ICCPR and ICESCR on December 16, 1966.)This 17-page Act is divided into eight chapters: Preliminary (Chapter I); The National Human Rights Commission (Chapter II); Functions and Powers of the Commission (Chapter III); Procedure (Chapter IV); State Human Rights Commissions (Chapter V); Human Rights Courts (Chapter VI); Finance, Accounts and Audit (Chapter VII); and Miscellaneous (Chapter VIII).