Document Type

Working Paper

Abstract

We use Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to examine if judgments’ complexity in Supreme Court cases influences dowry deaths in India.Leveraging the quasi-random assignment of judges to cases, we find that aone-unit increase in the complexity of judgments captured by the Fog Index ina state year increases dowry deaths by 2% in the subsequent period. Based onestimates of the Value of Statistical Life (VSL), this increase in dowry-relatedhomicides of women costs $1.83 million in a state year or 51 million USD forthe country annually. In otherwise similar judgments, very high complexity increases the incidence of future dowry deaths by 15%. However, having womenjustices on the panel of judges in such cases mitigates the effect of highercomplexity.

Publication Date

1-8-2024

Publisher

Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Relation

IIMB Working Paper-700

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