The Legal Aid Lifeline: A CHRI opinion
The recent escape of eight SIMI members from Bhopal Central Jail, and their subsequent deaths at the hands of local police, raise stark issues relating to persons in custody. These include the lack of access to a lawyer that could make the difference between life and death for someone in custody.
Our Prison Reform team launched two RTI-based landmark publications
See pictures and press coverage here.
Maldives has left The Commonwealth. Our comment asks for continued monitoring
Democratic values and human rights in the Maldives have been severely compromised in recent times, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative has found. In light of the country’s recent decision to leave the Commonwealth, the situation in the island nation needs closer scrutiny than ever before.
CHRI Deplores Attacks on RTI Activists
A few days ago the media reported yet another gruesome instance of murder of an RTI user in Mumbai. The Mumbai Police are said to have arrested two suspects including an ex-Corporator during their investigation of this incident.
Right To Information Activists From India and Afghanistan Exchange Ideas
Afghanistan’s Right To Information Law went into effect in December 2014. A country just emerging from nearly 40 years of war has given its citizens access to information on how their government works.
Most ministries, government departments fail to obey transparency directive: CHRI finds
Only four central ministries and eight departments have complied with a cabinet secretariat transparency directive to proactively publish monthly summary of their work, a CHRI study has found.
The RTI law turns 11: A CHRI Perspective in the Media
October 12, 2016, marked the 11th anniversary of the Right To Information law in India. The strength of the law is impressive enough that it has been ranked among the top five in the world.
Jail mail - Revisiting Reforms Through Under Trial Review Committees
“Prison reforms have been the subject matter of discussion and decisions rendered by this Court from time to time …Unfortunately, it seems that the views of this Court over the 50 years (since Prabhakar Pandurang Sangzgiri in 1966) have continuously fallen on deaf ears and the situation
Diplomat Says India Detached from Gross Abuses in Maldives
The Maldives has come under the scrutiny of two international human rights organizations, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Amnesty International.
EPIC- Evaluation of Prisoner Information and Cases
Under-trial prisoners constitute a significant majority of the prison population in India.However, in a huge number of cases, pre-trial detention is avoidable and unnecessary. There exist several provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 (Cr.P.C.