The Hindu : National : It is inhuman to keep undertrial prisoners for long periods: Shekhawat

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Wednesday, Jan 24, 2007
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National

National

It is inhuman to keep undertrial prisoners for long periods: Shekhawat

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Expressing concern over huge pendency of cases in courts, Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat has called for measures such as increasing the strength of judges, strengthening court infrastructure, modernising judicial processes, reinforcement of the lok adalats and setting up fast track courts to deal with cases of serious crimes, election disputes and corruption in high places.

Noting that the pendency in High Courts was over 35 lakh till March last year and three crore in the subordinate courts, he said there was a very remote possibility of wiping it out when there were 130 vacancies of judges in High Courts and over 2,850 vacancies in the subordinate courts.

Addressing the first convocation of the National Law University, Jodhpur, on Monday, Mr. Shekhawat said that he was distressed to find a large number of undertrial prisoners languishing in jails for periods longer than the maximum term for which they could have been sentenced if found guilty. "This is the unfortunate and inhuman result of inordinate delays in trial of criminal cases. The story is much the same in a large number of civil cases also. Our Supreme Court has ruled on a number of occasions that speedy trial is an integral and essential part of the fundamental right to life and liberty," he said.

Urging law students to remain alive to the changing nuances of law, the Vice President said the issues concerning labour, environment and human rights were coming to greater focus in the wake of pro-active legislations.

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