NAT NATIONAL LAW LAW UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY JODHPUR JODHPUR
COMPRATIVE PUBLIC LAW CASE ANALYSIS ANALYSIS
Hussainara Khatoon and Ors. V. Ho! S!"r!tar#$ Stat! o% Bihar$ Patna&
SUBMITTE' TO ( ANAN' KUMAR
)a"u*t# o% La+
1 AIR 1979 SC 1369
SUBMITTE' BY(
Jitendra Kumar Gautam Roll No !" LL# $%&'er La()
)a"ts(
T*e +a,e o- Hu,,ain Ara K*atoon V. State o- /i*ar 0 Or, dealt inter alia (it* t*e ri1*t, o- t*e under trial 2ri,oner,. In t*e *a'eau, +or2u, (rit 2etition 'a,ed on +ertain re2ort, a, ,u'mitted '& t*e o--i+ial, di,+lo,ed a ,*o+3in1 ,tate o- a--air, in re1ard, to t*e admini,tration o- 4u,ti+e in t*e State o- /i*ar. A lar1e num'er o- men5 (omen and +*ildren (ere 'e*ind t*e 'ar, -or &ear, a(aitin1 trial, in t*e +ourt, o- la(. T*e o--en+e, (it* (*i+* ,ome o- t*em (ere +*ar1ed (ere tri6ial5 (*i+* e6en i- 2ro6ed5 (ould not (arrant 2uni,*ment -or more t*an a -e( mont*,5 2er*a2, a &ear or t(o5 and &et t*e& remained in 4ail5 de2ri6ed o- t*eir -reedom5 -or 2eriod, ran1in1 -rom t*ree to ten &ear, (it*out e6en a, mu+* a, t*eir trial *a6in1 +ommen+ed. T*e %ourt ordered immediate relea,e o- t*e,e under trial, man& o- (*om (ere 3e2t in 4ail (it*out trial or e6en (it*out a +*ar1e a, it (a, t*e 6iolation o- t*e -undamental ri1*t a, 1uaranteed '& t*e %on,titution o- India a1ain,t t*e State to it, +iti7en,. L!,a* Issu!s
8. W*et*er t*e ri1*t o- t*e a++u,ed *a, 'een 6iolated9 ". W*et*er t*e under:trial 2ri,oner, (ere 2eriodi+all& 2rodu+ed 'e-ore t*e ma1i,trate under Se+ 8; o- %r2+9 <. W*et*er t*e =undamental Ri1*t under t*e Arti+le 8> 0 "8 *a6e 'een 6iolated and ,2eed& trial i, in+luded in ri1*t to li-e and 2er,onal li'ert& 1uaranteed under Arti+le "8 9 H!*d
T*e +ourt (*ile dealin1 t*i, +a,e5 e?amined minutel& t*e re2ort, -iled in t*e -orm o- a--ida6it and ,tudied t*e ,ame. T*e State +annot a6oid it, +on,titutional o'li1ation to 2ro6ide ,2eed& trial to t*e a++u,ed '& 2leadin1 -inan+ial or admini,trati6e ina'ilit&. T*e State i, under a +on,titutional mandate to en,ure ,2eed& trial and (*ate6er i, ne+e,,ar& -or t*i, 2ur2o,e *a, to 'e done '& t*e State. It i, al,o t*e +on,titutional o'li1ation o- t*i, %ourt5 a, t*e 1uardian o- t*e -undamental ri1*t, o- t*e 2eo2le. T*e +ourt -urt*er dire+ted t*e 1o6ernment o- /i*ar and 2ut an o'li1ation to t*e Patna Hi1* %ourt to monitor ,u+* in,tan+e, 'ein1 t*e admini,trati6e *ead o- t*e 4udi+iar& in t*e ,tate. T*e +ourt -urt*er dire+ted and a,3ed t*e 1o6ernment to ,*o( +au,e a, to (*& t*e under trial, (ere in ,u+* de4e+ted +ondition, and dire+ted to ,u'mit
a detailed re2ort in+ludin1 t*e li,t o- +ourt, (*ere t*e trial i, ta3in1 2la+e and t*e ,tatu, o- t*e trial ,o 'ein1 *eld.
Ana*#sis
T*e +ourt (*ile dealin1 t*e +a,e too3 into a++ount 6ariou, ,tati,ti+, 2rodu+ed in t*e re2ort and (ell +la,,i-ied t*e under trial, 2ri,oner, into man& 1rou2,5 ,u+* t*at A. t*e under trial 2ri,oner (*o are in 4ail -or 2eriod lon1er t*an t*e ma?imum 2eriod -or (*i+* t*e& +ould 'e i- +on6i+ted5 /. t*e under trial 2ri,oner (*o are in 4ail +*ar1ed (it* t*e o--en+e, (*i+* are 'aila'le 'e+au,e no a22li+ation +an 'e made out '& t*em a, t*e& are 2oor5 %. t*e under trial 2ri,oner (*o *a6e 'een in 4ail -or 2eriod e?+eedin1 one *al- o- t*e ma?imum 2uni,*ment t*at +ould 'e a(arded i- +on6i+ted. =rom t*e li,t o- under trial 2ri,oner ,u'mitted 'e-ore t*e +ourt5 it i, anal&,ed '& t*e +ourt t*at it di,+lo,e, a ,*o+3in1 ,tate o- a--air, and 'etra&, +om2lete la+3 o- +on+ern -or *uman 6alue,. =urt*er it e?2o,e, t*e +allou,ne,, o- our le1al and 4udi+ial ,&,tem (*i+* remain, unmo6ed '& ,u+* enormou, mi,er& and ,u--erin1 re,ultin1 -rom totall& un4u,ti-ied de2ri6ation o- 2er,onal li'ert&. It i, al,o ,een t*at t*ere are 2ri,oner (*o are +*ar1ed -or 'aila'le o--en+e, and are ,till in 4ail a, no a22li+ation *a, 'een made '& t*em or on t*eir 'e*al- 'ein1 too 2oor to -urni,* 'ail and al,o t*e& are una(are a'out t*e le1al ,&,tem and al,o due to 2o6ert& are una'le to en1a1e la(&er (*o on 'e*al- o- t*em +an ma3e a22li+ation 'e-ore t*e +ourt. T*e 2o,,i'ilit& o- relea,e -rom 2re:trial detention ,*ut, out e6en in t*o,e +a,e, (*en #a1i,trate re-u,e, to relea,e t*e 2ri,oner on t*eir 2er,onal 'ond a, t*e& $#a1i,trate) in,i,t on monetar& 'ond. T*e 2ur2o,e o- le1al ,&,tem i, to 2rote+t indi6idual -rom t*e in4u,ti+e (*oe6er it ma& 'e. T*e 2eo2le *a6e -ait* in t*e admini,tration o- 4u,ti+e '& 4udi+iar& (*i+* i, a 'ran+* o- t*e Go6ernment. W*en 2ri,oner are detained -or lon1er term, o- im2ri,onment (it*out trial5 or e6en (it*out 'ail in +a,e o- 'illa'le o--en+e5 t*i, (ould lead to a ,en,e o- 'itterne,, and -ru,tration a1ain,t t*e le1al ,&,tem (*i+* 3e2t t*em in 4ail (it*out trial. #oreo6er t*e +ontinuan+e o- 2ri,oner detention in +a,e o- lon1er term, o- im2ri,onment5 i- not +on6i+ted i, +learl& ille1al and in 6iolation o- Arti+le "8 o- t*e %on,titution o- India. Arti+le "8 2ro6ide, t*at no 2er,on ,*all 'e de2ri6ed o- *i, li-e or li'ert& e?+e2t in a++ordan+e (it* t*e 2ro+edure
e,ta'li,*ed '& la(. In +a,e o- #ane3a Gand*i V. State o- /i*ar it *a, 'een *eld t*at t*e 2ro+edure ,*ould not onl& 'e 2ro6ided '& t*e la( 'ut al,o 2ro+edure under (*i+* 2er,on ma& 'e de2ri6ed o- *i, li-e and li'ert& and it ,*ould 'e 4u,t -air and rea,ona'le ". T*e 2ro6idin1 le1al ,er6i+e, to an indi6idual (*o i, too 2oor to a--ord a la(&er i, an e,,ential in1redient o- rea,ona'le5 -air and 4u,t and 2rin+i2le o- natural 4u,ti+e. Al,o it *a, 'een 2ointed in t*e +a,e o- #.H Ho,3ot V. State o- #a*ara,tra < t*at 4udi+ial 4u,ti+e (it* 2ro+edural intri+a+ie,5 le1al ,u'mi,,ion et+ re@uire ,u22orti6e ,3ill and a',en+e o- t*i, amount, -ailure o- e@ual 4u,ti+e. #oreo6er Arti+le <:A o- t*e %on,titution o- India 2ro6ide, -or e@ual 4u,ti+e and -ree le1al aid5 and t*i, in+or2orate, it in t*e -orm o- +on,titutional dire+ti6e, -or ,e+urin1 t*e 4u,ti+e. A, t*i, arti+le em2*a,i7e, a'out -ree le1al aid ma3in1 it an e,,ential in1redient, o- rea,ona'le -air and 4u,t5 t*ere-ore it ,*ould 'e ma3e im2li+it in t*e 1uarantee o- Arti+le "8. A, Arti+le "8 o- t*e %on,titution o- India 2ro6ide, t*at no 2er,on ,*all 'e de2ri6ed o- *i, li-e or li'ert& e?+e2t in a++ordan+e (it* t*e 2ro+edure e,ta'li,*ed '& la( and t*at 2ro+edure ,*ould 'e 4u,t -air and rea,ona'le. I- t*ere i, no 2ro+edure (*i+* doe, not en,ure a @ui+3 trial +annot 'e re1arded a, rea,ona'le -air and 4u,t and it (ould -all -oul o- Arti+le "8. T*ere +an t*ere-ore 'e no dou't t*at ,2eed& trial and '& ,2eed& trial i, meant a rea,ona'le e?2editiou, trial5 i, an inte1ral and e,,ential 2art o- -undamental ri1*t to li-e and li'ert& en,*rined in Arti+le "8. T*u, S2eed& Trial i, an inte1ral e,,ential 2art o- -undamental ri1*t to li-e and li'ert& en,*rined in Arti+le "8 o- %on,titution o- India.
2 Meneka Gandhi V. Union of India [1978] 2 SCR 621 3 1978 Cri L1678
