Supreme Court, NALSA launch Undertrial Review Committee Special Campaign 2023 to expedite release of undertrial prisoners

The Supreme Court of India and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) Monday launched a nationwide campaign to expedite the identification and review of prisoners who are eligible to be considered for release from jails. .The campaign termed 'Undertrial Review Committee Special Campaign 2023' was launched by Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul who is also the Executive Chairperson of NALSA. The campaign is scheduled to take place from September 18 to November 20 this year and will cover all districts in India.The campaign aims to enhance the current operations of the Under Trial Review Committees (UTRCs) which were established pursuant to the directions of the Supreme Court in 2015. These UTRCs are led by District & Sessions Judges and include District Magistrates, Superintendents of Police, Secretaries, District Legal Services Authorities and officers-in-charge of prisons as members..According to a press release issued by the Supreme Court on Monday, UTRCs over the past five years made recommendations for the release of more than 2 lakh inmates which eventually resulted in the release of 91,703 prisoners nationwide.The campaign's virtual launch event was graced by the presence of executive chairpersons, member secretaries and other officials from all State Legal Services Authorities as well as executive chairpersons and secretaries from the District Legal Services Authorities (DLSAs) and members of UTRCs..During the event, Justice Kaul underscored the persistent concern of undertrial prisoners remaining incarcerated despite being eligible for review and release. This issue has consistently surfaced before both the Supreme Court and various High Courts, he said.“Our responsibility as judges is to ensure that the law is followed in letter and spirit, and that it does not discriminate between anyone on the basis of the quality of legal representation they can afford among other manmade qualifiers,” he underlined. Justice Kaul also highlighted the vital connection between a strong legal aid system, access to justice and achieving sustainable development goals, a focal point at the G20 Summit of 2023 and part of the G20 New Delhi Leader's Declaration..[Read Press Note]