{"id":268475,"date":"2022-06-16T09:00:16","date_gmt":"2022-06-16T03:30:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=268475"},"modified":"2022-06-15T19:48:04","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T14:18:04","slug":"psychiatric-psychological-treatment-condition-death-row-convicts-mental-health-supreme-court-india-judgments-legal-updates-research-news-human-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2022\/06\/16\/psychiatric-psychological-treatment-condition-death-row-convicts-mental-health-supreme-court-india-judgments-legal-updates-research-news-human-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"Psychiatric &#038; Psychological Evaluation of death row convicts| Supreme Court mandates call for mental health report before pronouncing death sentence\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Supreme Court:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> In a significant ruling regarding better evaluation of possibility for the accused to be reformed, the 3-judge Bench comprising Uday Umesh Lalit<\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, S. Ravindra Bhat*<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and Bela. M. Trivedi, JJ., framed practical guidelines for the courts to adopt and implement for conviction of offenses that carry the possibility of the death sentence.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Court opined that the recent trend to call for a Probation Officer\u2019s Report, is in fact a desperate attempt by the courts at the appellate stage, to obtain information on the accused. However, this too is <\/span><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">too little, too late, and only offers a peek into the circumstances of the accused<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> after conviction. Therefore, the Court made it mandatory for trial courts to call for psychiatric and psychological evaluation reports of the accused before awarding capital punishment. The Court observed,\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe unfortunate reality is that in the absence of well-documented mitigating circumstances at the trial level, the aggravating circumstances seem far more compelling, or overwhelming, rendering the sentencing court prone to imposing the death penalty, on the basis of an incomplete, and hence, incorrect application of the Bachan Singh<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">i<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> test.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><b>Factual Matrix\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Court was hearing appeals filed by three death row convicts, Manoj, Rahul, and Neha, convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code, 1860 (3 counts) by the judgment and orders of the First Additional Sessions Judge, Indore, and further confirmed by the M.P. High Court.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The appellants were charged for the brutal, and grotesque killing of three generations of women (age group 22, 46, and 76 years) who were caught off-guard and severely physically assaulted, resulting in their death, in their own home. The common intention of the appellants was to rob the deceased, however, on receiving unexpected protest, the appellants had resorted to frenzied knife attacks to subdue the three deceased women.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Holding that all the circumstances and the link connecting them were sufficiently established by the prosecution and proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the Supreme Court held all three accused guilty of the offenses under Section 397\/34, 449\/34, and 302\/34 IPC. Additionally, Manoj and Rahul\u2019s conviction under Section 25(1-B) (B) of the Arms Act, and Rahul\u2019s conviction under Section 27 of the Arms Act, were upheld.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><b>Criminal Trial Guidelines\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Criminal Trials Guidelines Regarding Inadequacies and Deficiencies, in re, <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/xPH2mjS1\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">(2021) 10 SCC 598<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the 3-judge Bench had approved a draft guideline regarding Inadequacies and Deficiencies in criminal trials which states as follows:\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cSUPPLY OF DOCUMENTS UNDER SECTIONS 173, 207 AND 208 CRPC\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify; padding-left: 40px;\"><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Every Accused shall be supplied with statements of witness recorded under Sections 161 and 164 Cr.PC and a list of documents, material objects and exhibits seized during investigation and relied upon by the Investigating Officer (I.O) in accordance with Sections 207 and 208, CrPC\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Hence, the Court held that the prosecution should as a matter of rule comply with the above rule in all criminal trials, and furnish the list of statements, documents, material objects and exhibits which are not relied upon by the investigating officer. The Court directed that the presiding officers of courts in criminal trials shall ensure compliance with such rules.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><b>Death Penalty Framework and Principled Sentencing<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the absence of an individual\u2019s capacity to effectively bring forth mitigating factors, the Court had, in <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/v2SWt5dM\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">(1980) 2 SCC 684<\/span><\/a> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">placed the burden of eliciting mitigating circumstances on the court, which has to consider them liberally and expansively, whereas the responsibility of providing material to show that the accused is beyond the scope of reform or rehabilitation, thereby unquestionably foreclosing the option of life imprisonment and making it is a fit case for imposition of death penalty, is one which falls squarely on the State.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Again, in <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Santosh Kumar Satishbhushan Bariyar v. State of Maharashtra<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/Uv391e3w\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">(2009) 6 SCC 498<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, the court had articulated a two-step process to determine whether a case deserves the death sentence \u2013 \u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">firstly, that the case belongs to the \u2018rarest of rare\u2019 category, and secondly, that the option of life imprisonment would simply not suffice.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Noting that despite over four decades since <\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Bachan Singh\u2019s case<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> there has been little to no policy-driven change, towards formulating a scheme or system that elaborates how mitigating circumstances are to be collected, for the court\u2019s consideration and that scarce information about the accused at the time of sentencing, severely disadvantages the process of considering mitigating circumstances, the Bench opined,\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cTherefore, \u2018individualised, principled sentencing\u2019 \u2013 based on both the crime and criminal, with consideration of whether reform or rehabilitation is achievable, and consequently whether the option of life imprisonment is unquestionably foreclosed \u2013 should be the only factor of \u2018commonality\u2019 that must be discernible from decisions relating to capital offences.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><b>Practical Guidelines to Collect Mitigating Circumstances\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Opining that there is an urgent need to ensure that mitigating circumstances are considered at the trial stage, to avoid slipping into a retributive response to the brutality of the crime, as is noticeably the situation in a majority of cases reaching the appellate stage, the Court framed following practical guidelines for the courts to adopt and implement, till the legislature and executive, formulate a coherent framework through legislation:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The trial court must elicit information from the accused and the state, both.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The state, must &#8211; for an offence carrying capital punishment &#8211; at the appropriate stage, produce material which is preferably collected beforehand, before the Sessions Court disclosing psychiatric and psychological evaluation of the accused.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Next, the State, must in a time-bound manner, collect additional information pertaining to the accused. An illustrative, but not exhaustive list is as follows:<\/span><\/i><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">a. Age<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">b. Early family background (siblings, protection of parents, history of violence or neglect)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">c. Present family background (surviving family members, whether married, has children, etc.)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">d. Type and level of education<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">e. Socio-economic background (including conditions of poverty or deprivation, if any)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">f. Criminal antecedents (details of offence and whether convicted, sentence served, if any)<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">g. Income and the kind of employment (whether none, or temporary or permanent etc);<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">h. Other factors such as history of unstable social behaviour, or mental or psychological ailment(s), alienation of the individual (with reasons, if any) etc.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The Court clarified that the aforementioned information should mandatorily be available to the trial court, at the sentencing stage. Further, the Court directed that the accused too, should be given the same opportunity to produce evidence in rebuttal, towards establishing all mitigating circumstances and the courts should call for other related details in the form of a report from the relevant jail authorities, particularly information regarding the accused\u2019s jail conduct and behaviour, work done (if any), activities the accused has involved themselves in, etc.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Further, the Court directed that if the appeal is heard after a long hiatus from the trial court\u2019s conviction or High Court\u2019s confirmation \u2013 a fresh report from the jail authorities is recommended, for a more exact and complete understanding of the contemporaneous progress made by the accused, in the time elapsed. The Court emphasised,\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThe jail authorities must also include a fresh psychiatric and psychological report which will further evidence the reformative progress, and reveal post-conviction mental illness, if any.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\"><b>Verdict<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In the backdrop of above, the Court opined that the fact that the accused had to repeatedly stab them, reveals that the said appellants were not familiar with wielding such a weapon, the young age of the accused at the time of the incident (35, 20, 22 respectively) and lack of criminal antecedents (except in the case of Manoj, who was allegedly involved in a case of petty theft) could not be lost sight of.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Further, the prosecution case was silent on any real motive that may have instigated or moved the three accused to have pre-planned for the commission of murder \u2013 other than robbery, itself. Therefore, the Court noted,\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cIt is unfortunate to note that both the trial Court, and High Court, failed to provide an effective sentencing hearing to the accused, at the relevant stage, which is a right under Section 235(2) CrPC recognised by this court in several cases.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Lastly, considering that the three accused had a record of overall good conduct in prison and display a probability of reform, the Court concluded that the option of life imprisonment was certainly not foreclosed and the imposition of the death sentence was unwarranted in the present case. Hence, the death sentence of all three accused was commuted to life imprisonment for a minimum term of 25 years.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">[Manoj v. State of M.P., <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/kO22sSSI\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">2022 SCC OnLine SC 677<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">, decided on 20-05-2022]<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><i><span data-contrast=\"auto\">*<\/span><\/i><\/b><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Judgment by: Justice S. Ravindra Bhat<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Appearance by:\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For Appellants 1 and 2: Ms. Anjana Prakash, Senior Advocate\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For Appellant 3: Mr. Shri Singh, Advocate\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For the State of M.P.: Ms. Swarupama Chaturvedi, Additional Advocate General\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"color: #333399;\">Kamini Sharma, Editorial Assistant has put this report together\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cImplicit in this shift is the understanding that the criminal is not a product of only their own decisions, but also a product of the state and society\u2019s failing, which is what entitles the accused to a chance of reformation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67011,"featured_media":268476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[14581,2896,3006,29785,11871,13711,2948,49706,30636],"class_list":["post-268475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-supremecourt","tag-capital-punishment","tag-Death_sentence","tag-Justice","tag-law","tag-mental-health","tag-mitigating-circumstances","tag-murder","tag-probability-of-reform","tag-robbery"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Psychiatric &amp; Psychological Evaluation of death row convicts| Supreme Court mandates call for mental health report before pronouncing death 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