New Delhi, August 1
The Madhava Menon Committee on criminal justice system, which submitted its report to union home minister Shivraj Patil today, has suggested setting up of a separate authority at the national level to deal with crimes threatening the country’s security.
The panel, set up in May last year to draft a national policy paper on criminal justice system, also favoured a complete revamp of the entire criminal procedure system. It has also mooted creation of a fund to compensate victims, who turn hostile due to pressure from the culprits.
The four-member committee, in its 74-page report, has also made certain suggestions on ways to tackle chemical and biological warfare and certain recommendations for protecting the country’s assets in space and sea.
The committee also recommended having a sentencing board of three judges, including the trial judge, for determining punishments in select offences punishable with life imprisonment or death, to ensure objectivity.
Laying stress on a joint sector in criminal justice, the committee said, “Despite constitutional difficulties, if any, it has become necessary for the union to be now more actively involved in the fight against crimes, such as terrorism, communal violence and organised crime, which impinge on security of state.”
“This calls for a joint sector organisation of Central and state governments to deal with select crimes threatening the security of the national or having inter-state ramifications, which require ability to deploy all resources needed,” it said.
“The national policy should identify all such crimes affecting the unity and integrity of the country and create a united national agency to undertake prevention, investigation and prosecution of such crimes with the support and co-operation of the state machinery concerned,” it said.
Emphasising on increased punishment choices and alternatives, the committee said there had to be a substantial increase in the range and variety of punishments to provide for more choices in sentencing.
“The quantum of punishment, particularly of fine, require revision given the contemporary value of money and the impact of inflation. Disparities in sentencing need to be reduced by evolving appropriate statutory guidelines in respect of each type of punishment, which should be periodically revised at the instance of the proposed Board of Criminal Justice,” it said.
