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S N Thakur (Entrepreneur)     30 July 2015

Sentenced to death can there be constitutional remedy?

Question: Convict sentenced to death according to procedure established by law; can there be constitutional remedy for him?

 

Descripttttion: As a nonprofessional, Somewhere, I read in the Constitution of India that stated, “The Court will not interfere in to an Administrative Order, however erroneous, if not challenged on the grounds of contravention of Fundamental Rights”.

 

To make a case under Article 226/Article 32 of the Constitution, it is incumbent upon the petitioner to prove that not only there has been an infringement of his statutory/legal rights but also, his Fundamental Rights has been violated”.

 

While Article 21 in the Constitution of India provides protection of life and personal liberty that states, "No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law".

 

Therefore as a nonprofessional, I guess, that if convict/s sentenced to death according to procedure established by law then his Fundamental Rights automatically cease. Then, as it appears to me, that there cannot be Constitutional remedy for him since the Court will not interfere such a sentenced to death, if one cannot challenge it on the grounds of contravention of Fundamental Rights.

 

Is my above assumption correct, if wrong, then what is the correct answer?

____________________________________________________________________________________

 

The Fundamental Rights are the basic human rights of all citizens; apply irrespective of race, place of birth, religion, caste, creed or s*x. They are enforceable by the Courts.

 

The Directive Principles of State Policy are guidelines for the framing of laws by the government. These are not enforceable by the Courts, but the principles on which they are based are fundamental guidelines for governance that the State is expected to apply in framing and passing laws.

 

Whenever conflicts arise between fundamental rights and directive principles, fundamental rights prevail over the directive principles because, in terms of Arts. 32 and 226, fundamental rights are enforceable by the courts. If a law is in conflict with a fundamental right, it is declared void by the Supreme Court. But no law can be declared void on the ground that it is violative of a directive principle.

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 2 Replies

S N Thakur (Entrepreneur)     31 July 2015

[This line was incuded later: please refer the following (Next) post that reflects my present understanding.]

 

** Now-a-days, two moot questions keep on creeping in my mind, those are-

The keepers of the Constitution of India interpret, “nothing is above the Constitution”

(Q1) However, I fail to understand, whether said consideration means the Constitution is above the relative “truth” also?

 

The architect and framers of the Constitution of India freely borrowed the good features of other constitutions. However, on 20 December 2012, meetings of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted a fourth resolution (A/RES/67/176) on moratorium on the death penalty, where 111 countries voted in favour, 41 countries, including India, voted against, 34 countries abstained from and 7 countries were absent.

(Q2) Nevertheless, I fail to understand, “why India voted against moratorium on the death penalty instead of 111 countries voted in favour, only 41 against?” The architect and framers of the Constitution of India freely borrowed the good features of other countries. Why India, for good, not voted in favour for moratorium on the death penalty?

 

Death penalty earlier was brutal, painful and public, later moved to less painful, more humane, and now they need to be abolished. A change for refinement in civil nature.

Considering framing of Indian Constitution- • The parliamentary system of government, law-making procedure besides others borrowed from the British Constitution. • Fundamental Rights, Judicial Review etc adopted from the US Constitution. • The federal system adopted from Canada. • Directive Principles of State Policy borrowed from the Constitution of the Republic of Ireland.

 

** I have to rely and keep on my faith in something that needs to be pure, therefore endeavouring to know it better to maintain my reliance.

S N Thakur (Entrepreneur)     01 August 2015

Earlier death penalty was brutal, painful and public, later moved to less painful, humane, and now, like the major countries, need to change the penalty in alternative manner for the necessary refinement in the statute.

 

Article 21 in the Constitution of India provides protection of life and personal liberty and it states, "No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law".

 

However,, said exception in the Article, though fundamental in nature, provides great reliance and power in the hands of the States. Therefore, Fundamental Rights of a citizen apparently ceases due to said reliance and power in the hands of the (so called political) States, while the Court is likely to restraint itself to interfere into such an administrative order, even erroneous, since ones inability to challenge it on the grounds of contravention of Fundamental Rights due to said exception.

 

Furthermore, Article 72 in the Constitution of India provides power to the President to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence, however, said power, of the President, not appears to be absolute. The President’s decision, about a mercy plea, likely to influenced politically. As in the recent case, Union Home Ministry advised the President to reject it; accordingly, the President rejected a mercy plea. To grant mercy, the President needs to apply an absolute power.

 

The architect and framers of the Constitution of India freely borrowed the good features of other constitutions. However, on 20 December 2012, meetings of the 67th Session of the UN General Assembly adopted a fourth resolution (A/RES/67/176) on moratorium on the death penalty, where 111 countries voted in favour, 41 countries, including India, voted against, 34 countries abstained from and 7 countries were absent.

 

However, India voted against moratorium on the death penalty instead a majority of 111 countries voted in favour, only 41 against. Since, the framers of the Constitution freely borrowed the good features of other countries why not India, for good, voted in favour for moratorium on the death penalty.

 

Therefore, in India, the capital punishment needs to change in civil manner for the necessary refinement in the Statute.


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