Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Initiative (CJI) provides pro-bono and low-cost legal aid service to undertrials and convicted prisoners who are unable to pay for their legal representation. CJI’s work is to defend civil liberties and to create a more humane criminal justice system. The emphasis is on greater access to justice for the poor, workers, disabled, aged, sick, tribal, women, Dalit, juveniles and other minorities.

What HRLN Does


One of CJI’s main focus areas is work inside the prison, as it believes in corrections via jails and prisons, which can only be understood by reviewing prison conditions and capital punishment laws. CJI works with progressive prison administrators and police personnel to set up legal aid clinics in prisons with the objective of representing indigent undertrials. Since 2002, it has been instrumental in setting up a legal aid mechanism for prisoners in Delhi. Though the Indian judiciary uses of death penalty, HRLN strongly believes in its abolition.

Main Concerns

·      Prison conditions
·      Practice of death penalty
·      Legislative, executive and judicial expansion of police powers
·      Organises fact-finding missions
·      Work on rehabilitation for the ex-inmates

HRLN Impact

The CJI team is at the forefront of the reform work in prisons. Strongly condemning custodial torture and violence, its petition in the Bombay High Court asked for improving the visiting condition of prisoners and their families (See: Kavita Kaushik vs State of Maharashtra.)

Another landmark case decided in the Bombay High Court resulted in the release of hundreds of under-trial prisoners, who had been languishing in prisons for far longer than the maximum term of their punishment due to slow court procedures (See: Shabnam Miniwaalla Vs. State of Maharashtra). However, statistics still show that 70% of India’s prison inmates are undertrials and much remains to be done to improve the criminal justice system of the country.
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Lynching Case anticipatory bail cancelled


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When gunshots are our morning alarm (Part - I)

By Ujjaini Chatterji Mumbai, September 27 Kashmir is a multi-layered topic. It is often becoming increasingly diffi ...read more

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Delhi HC quashes ‘LEAVE INDIA NOTICE’ to Pakistani Woman


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Forced to marry her maternal uncle: SC directs J&K Police to ensure girl’s safety

The Supreme Court on 12th October issued an order to Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police in a Habeas Corpus ...read more

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Delhi HC directs media houses to remove all inflammatory content defaming missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed


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Delhi High Court allows CBI to file closure report on Najeeb's disappearance


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Lawyer Shreeji Bhavsar speaks on the sexual assault and murder of 15 year old girl in Dholpur, Rajasthan #BetiBachao


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Letter to Colin Gonsalves from Badol farazi; a Bangladeshi citizen, who was trapped in an Indian jail for 10 years


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HRLN impact | Gurgaon court convicts man who threw acid on minor boy

After Human Rights Law Network intervention, justice finally arrived for a minor male child — who was abducted and att ...read more

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High Court issues notice to media houses in the defamation case filed by Fatima Nafees, Najeeb's mother #BringBackNajeeb


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National Security Act withdrawn against Bhim Army founder Chandrshekhar


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2007, 2008 riots: SC issues notice to Odisha govt over compensation disbursement

The Supreme Court acting on a contempt petition filed by Human Rights Law Network (HRLN) on Friday (7th September) issue ...read more

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BT road 'fake encounter': Mother of victim files impleadment petition


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Delhi High Court convicts 33 accused persons in Mirchpur caste atrocity case


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Bhim army founder Chandrashekhar challenges his detention by the UP govt: SC issues notices to state, Saharanpur DM

Chandrashekhar @ Ravan Vs State of Uttar Pradesh Special Leave Petition (Crl) 26284/2018 in the Supreme Court of India ...read more

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No country for its own children: Only constant vigilance and swift action can stop child rapes in India


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Begging in the national capital no longer to be a crime: Delhi HC declares anti-begging provisions unconstitutional


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Supreme Courts judgment on #Lynching a hope for India


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Ramgarh lynching case: Jharkhand HC grants bail to 8 out of 11 murder accused


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3 men, denied bail by the Sessions Court, granted bail by J&K High Court


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Delhi fast-track court punishes rape accused with 20 years rigorous punishment; Victim compensated with Rs 5 lakh


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Wayanad: Biological mother granted custody of minor child, who was separated from adoptive mother


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17 year old tortured in custody by officers from Mumbai Railway Protection Force dies


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Fatima Nafees files defamation suit against Times of India, Times Now, Dilli Aaj Tak for spreading defamatory fake news against son, Najeeb Ahmed

Fatima Nafees, the mother of missing JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, last week filed a suit in the Delhi high court through Hu ...read more

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Adilabad District Court sets law in motion against Police in alleged fake encounter case


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UP Court orders bail of domestic worker, her husband in frivolous complaint


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Shamlipur violence: Do not arrest until you find credible evidence, UP court directs police


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Case of domestic abuse


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Babita Devi's husband was found dead a day after taken into police custody; her fight for justice continues


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PIL filed for proper implementation of Juvenile Justice Act in J&K


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Petition demanding transfer of investigation of deceased rape victim aged 20 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) .


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Court passes prison improvement measures for ensuring safety of inmates, such as CCTV footage recording and regular medical check-ups for inmates


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J&K High Court directs FIR, investigation into report of custodial disappearance


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Petition challenging detention under Public Safety Act in J&K


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Naga People's Movement of Human Rights vs Union of India

(Note: Colin Gonsalves ceased to be a Director of the Human Rights Law Network (SLIC) a long time ago. However, our foun ...read more

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Surety amounts and those who cannot afford them: Case of Shobhanaben


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Punjab HC directs State Government to award compensation to orphans


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Compensation for illegal detention and assault in custody


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SC Commutes Death Sentences of 15 Convicts to Life Imprisonment


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Punjab HC directs the State Government to award Compensation for Acid-Attack Survivor


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Manipur HC directs payment of compensation in various fake encounters by armed forces


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Sexual assault survivor escapes shelter home in Jharkhand, missing thereafter


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A minor girl from Jharkhand missing since 2012


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Pushpa Devi's struggle to seek justice for her husband's murder continues


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Court orders Rs 5 lakh as compensation to kin of 18-year-old killed in fake encounter by army


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Sexual violence, physical assault, looting of property and destruction of property by the security forces consisting of CoBRA, CRPF, District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the local police in the villages of Pedagallur, Chhattisgarh


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SC remands previously dismissed writ petition on torture to Bombay high court


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Woman files FIR against her husband for committing rape, fraud, cheating, assault, torture and trying to poison her


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Tragic case of Madkam Hidme's fake encounter, her mother Lakshmi's fight for justice continues


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Petition to transfer the investigation of politically motivated crimes to an independent body


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Aftab Alam's brother, an under-trial, succumbed to his burn injuries after informing his family that an unknown person set him on fire in prison


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SC Acquits Person on Death Row


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Dalit woman fights for a fair investigation into her husband's murder at the hands of upper caste men


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Writ Petition filed to provide Assistance to an Indian citizen held in Foreign Custody


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Petition for Compensation to be awarded for the negligence of State authorities


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Woman belonging to a scheduled caste gangraped, prosecutrix on the case abducted


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Supreme Court passes landmark judgement seeking detailed reports on alleged fake encounters in Manipur


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Case of Domestic Violence in Itanagar


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Bail denied to journalist who reported fake encounter at Modenar


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Woman harassed and murdered by in-laws for giving birth to girls: FIR registered under section 306


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8 lac compensation to the family of the sewage worker who died from suffocation inside a sewer chamber and contractor banned for 7 years


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Manipur high court orders Union of India, BSF to pay compensation of Rs 5 lakh to BSF firing victim


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SC directs Centre to pay Rs 10 lakh as interim compensation to mother of girl killed by Assam Rifles personnel


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Petition filed to secure the rights of the oppressed and underprivileged people of Birbhum


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Arrested in Mauritius, Indian man moves Bombay high court over 'extra' time behind bars


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Writ filed against Police for their inaction and for directions to initiate criminal proceedings against the sexual assault perpetrators


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Fake cncounter: Manipur HC orders compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the victim's family


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Petition seeks CBI inquiry into allegations of fraud, embezzlement under NRHM in Nagaland


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Supreme Court commutes death sentence of four people to life imprisonment


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SC commutes death sentences of 15 Convicts, due to delay in mercy plea decisions


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PIL filed to demand establishment of State Commission for protection of child rights and appointment of one public prosecutor in every juvenile court in WB


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Supreme Court Ruling against Compulsory Voting


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PIL filed for provision of mid day meals to children and for investigation into misappropriation of funds.


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SC-appointed Commission gives report on its investigation of the extra-judicial killings in Manipur


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FIR registered against the poisoning of wife for dowry


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Tribal girl trafficked from Jharkhand to Delhi rescued


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No need of police probe in complaint against the force: Delhi Court


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The right to fair representation under legal aid: Ramchandra Nivrutti Mulak vs. The State of Maharashtra


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Overturning a wrongful conviction for murder: Krishna Kunjaram Nair @ Pillai vs. The State of Maharashtra


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Ensuring the right to health for prisoners: Rajesh Raghunath Kanojia vs. State of Maharashtra & others


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Compelling proper investigation of an FIR: Smt Bhama Behera vs State of Orissa and Others


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A successful appeal against a charge of murder: Irfan Nizam Qureshi vs. The State of Maharashtra