Goa, Dec. 9 -- The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over what it described as a growing lack of judicial sensitivity in cases involving sexual violence, as it moved to formulate comprehensive, gender-sensitive guidelines for all courts. A bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi, said that "the degree of sensitivity which we are required to observe is missing" in several recent rulings across the country.

The bench was hearing applications linked to its March decision to take suo motu cognisance of an Allahabad High Court judgment that triggered nationwide outrage. In March, the top court had stayed the High Court's controversial observations, calling them "insensitive and inhuman,...