-The Hindu Apex court says mitigating investigators need to be given access to the prisoners to dig out any circumstances which may help the court when it hears the appeal In a significant order, the Supreme Court has made it clear that the psychological evaluation of condemned prisoners by expert doctors, and access to them by mitigating investigators, are essential before the hearing begins on their appeals against the death penalty. A Bench...

-The Hindu ‘Capital punishment cannot be ignored as long as it is in the law books’ In a blow to death penalty abolitionists, the Supreme Court on Friday held that judiciary has never endeavoured to make death penalty redundant or non-existent. The courts have never tried to avoid awarding capital punishment in deserving cases. "It has never been the effort of the Courts to somehow make this punishment [sentence of death] redundant and...

-Press release by Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) dated 30 July, 2021 NEW DELHI: “During 2020 at least 228 journalists (including two cases against media houses) were targeted. These included 12 female journalists who had faced physical violence, online harassment/ threats and cases including under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) of 1967”, stated Mr Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) while releasing India...

-The Hindu Existing laws on juvenile justice, bonded labour and POCSO sufficient, say experts. The emphasis on criminalisation and policing instead of welfare measures in the new proposed anti-trafficking Bill makes it anti-migrants and anti-sex workers, warn experts. The Ministry of Women and Child Development recently placed the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021, in the public domain and sought stakeholders' comments till July 14. The Bill is also scheduled...

-Frontline.in Senior advocate Rebecca Mammen John on how the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the National Investigation Agency are being “weaponised” against Indians who hold a different viewpoint from the government. Rebecca Mammen John, Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India, believes that a larger public debate, along with consistent judicial interventions, is the need of the hour if the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is to be removed from...