Indian Criminal Reformation: A critical analysis

Abstract

The Criminal Justice System represents the cutting edge of governance. Towering over society, it parades an array of institutions, processes, people, and penalties to reinforce its images. This array includes policemen in uniform, constables with batons or lathis, the police station, courts, jail, bail, sentence, prisons, imprisonment, death row, the gallows, hanging and death. Each of these institutions and processes is part of the Criminal Justice System and yet partly autonomous within it. But a matter of great concern is that there arise multiple questions about whether these institutions are working/functioning properly within their ambit or not. Is there lack of implementation of provisions of criminal law by the enforcing agencies? Whether the recommendations of law commissions are adequately implemented? Whether the Malimath Committee’s Report on Criminal Law Reforms are being adequately addressed and enforced. Is adversarial system of criminal justice in India suitable in the present-day context, or it is high time to accept few principles of inquisitorial system of justice as it is prevailing in common law countries. With these few questions, in the present paper, the researchers have made an attempt to introduce our criminal justice system. The researchers further focuses on reforms recommended by the Law Commission. Finally, the researchers have suggested some important changes/modifications required in the prevailing criminal justice system in India to make it more streamlined and strengthened.1