Contemporary Problems in Securing an Efficient and Fair Administration of Criminal Justice and Their Solutions - India (From Resource Material Series, Number 22, P 36-43, 1982 - See NCJ-94946)

• NCJ Number: 94948
• Author(s): R K Shastri
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United Nations

Annotation

The criminal administration system in India is mainly the result of the British presence in the country over the past few hundred years; current problems keep changing character and new solutions must be found.

Abstract

British rule ended on August 15, 1947, and with the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the country became a sovereign democratic republic in 1950. Since that time, the criminal administration system has undergone numerous changes and modification. Separation of the judiciary has, for example, given fairer justice to the common man, and the legal process in courts has become fairer and more independent now that the investigator is no longer prosecutor. Some drawbacks exist; there is a lack of harmonious integration of the different branches of investigation, prosecution, and the courts, and sometimes the investigator and prosecutor work at cross purposes. Among the objectives of the Indian criminal justice system today are to ensure expeditious disposal of cases and to remove people's distrust and lack of cooperation with the law and enforcement agencies. Improvements in police-community relations are needed, and village volunteer forces should be considered as a way of preventing crime. In addition, cases should be disposed of expeditiously, the prosecution should be strengthened, and correctional methods should be improved. Finally, attention should be given the protection of civil rights and reduction in crimes against the lower castes.