New Delhi: The Chief Justices` conference
here has come out with a resolution suggesting special courts
in jails and invoking of the provisions of `plea bargaining`
to reduce the backlog of 3.11 crore cases and lessen the
misery of undertrials.
"The Chief Metropolitan/Chief Judicial Magistrate or
Metropolitan/Judicial Magistrate shall discharge obligation
keeping in view principles of plea bargaining as enshrined in
the Criminal Procedure Code," the resolution said.
The concept of plea bargaining mandates that a person
accused of committing offences, for which punishment does not
exceed seven years of imprisonment, may voluntarily plead his
guilt and can procure mutually satisfactory disposition with
the aggrieved or the victims under the supervision of the
court.
The Chief Justices` conference, which concluded here
recently, came out with various resolutions, one of them being
holding courts in jail premises in consultation with
respective state governments to help out undertrials of petty
offences.
It also required District Legal Services Committee or
State Legal Services Authority to depute advocates in jail to
work in aid of undertrial prisoners for providing requisite
services to them to present their case before the court.
Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan, in his
inaugural speech at the conference, had stressed the need to
make public aware about benefits of `plea bargaining` included
in the law in 2006.
Bureau Report
