It passed the order after considering a suo motu petition on the release of prisoners on bail to reduce prison overcrowding. The bench was headed by Justice Abhay S Oka.
The Supreme Court today directed states and Union territories to facilitate the remission of life convicts by supplying a copy of the remission policy to each prison, uploading it on the government website, and informing the concerned convict within one week of the order denying remission to enable filing an appeal.
A bench headed by Justice Abhay S Oka made the order while taking up a suo motu petition to release prisoners either on bail or remission for decongesting prisons.
The bench looked at responses received from states and noticed that Kerala had uploaded its remission policy on the state website in Malayalam. Kerala had even proposed Andhra Pradesh change its remission policy but did not make it public. On the other hand, one of its orders passed in July 2021 required states to pass reasoned orders while refusing premature release to life convicts.
Noting these differences, the bench, comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, passed common directions to all states and UTs that, henceforth, make available a copy of their existing remission policy or the modified policy with amendments from time to time to be provided at each jail for the benefit of a convict(s). It also requested the state upload an English translation of the policy on its official website.
