Top court seeks policy on premature release of convicts on life term

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all states and Union territories (UTs) to formulate within two months, a clear remission policy on the premature release of life-term convicts, underlining that considerations of liberty, fairness and the principles of natural justice must guide decisions regarding the early release of convicts.

- Utkarsh Anand

NEW DELHI:

Aiming to standardise the process of granting permanent remission across the country, a bench of justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan emphasised that the power to grant remission must be exercised in a "fair and reasonable manner".

While monitoring a matter initiated on its own motion, the court underscored the necessity of clear guidelines to avoid discrimination and ambiguity, making it mandatory for authorities to provide reasoned orders while granting or rejecting remission under Section 432 of CrPC, now replaced by Section 473 of BNSS.