Death Reference Archives

‘Criminal justice not one-sided, balance b/w conflicting rights & duties must be drawn’; Orissa HC permits recall of witness at stage of death reference

The Court permitted to put the questions mentioned in the questionnaire to the informant in the cross-examination. Regarding the evidentiary value of the same, the Court added that it will be decided during hearing of the criminal appeal and the application for confirmation of sentence.

Case Briefs High Courts

“Life Imprisonment for remainder of natural life a more humane substitute to address recidivism concerns”; Calcutta HC commutes Death Sentence in Rape and Murder case

Calcutta High Court held that the Trial Court erred in awarding death penalty with reference to gravity of the offence alone.

Case Briefs Supreme Court

“Death Sentence to be imposed only if no possibility of reform”; SC commutes death sentence to 20-years rigorous imprisonment in 7-year-old’s kidnapping-murder case

No mitigating circumstances of the petitioner were taken into account at any stage of the trial or the appellate process even though the petitioner was sentenced to capital punishment.

Case Briefs High Courts

All HC | Couple accused of murder – sentenced to death by Sessions Court, acquitted for prosecution’s failure to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt

Allahabad High Court: A Division Bench of Ramesh Sinha and Dinesh Kumar Singh-I, JJ. allowed the appeal filed by a couple accused