“Criminology teaches us that it is not the severity of punishment but the certainty, the swiftness and the fairness of punishment that truly deter crime,” the Chief Justice said. The Chief Justice placed the issue against what he described as deeply entrenched social attitudes towards women. Chief Justice Bakhru also addressed the continuing problem of dowry despite decades of criminalisation. Chief Justice Bakhru said technology had now emerged simultaneously as an “instrument of empowerment” and a “weapon of abuse”. Referring to women’s safety data, Chief Justice Bakhru also highlighted the substantial gap between experiencing harassment and reporting it to authorities.