Speedy Trial

Current Context : Recently, Supreme Court underscored that the constitutional right of a speedy trial, as enshrined in Article 21, applies to all cases regardless of the crime’s gravity.

SPEEDY TRIAL AS CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT 

• Article 21 of the Constitution gives all individuals the fundamental right to life and personal liberty. Through a catena of SC judgments, the right to speedy trial has been acknowledged as an extension of Article 21.
• It emphasizes that defendant should be tried for their alleged crimes within a reasonable time period.
• Judgement : In Kartar Singh Vs State of Punjab (1994), a Constitution bench of the Supreme Court unequivocally construed the right of speedy trial as a fundamental right.
• Other Important Judgement: Abdul Rehman Antulay vs RS Nayak
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the new code that has replaced Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), has sought to address delayed justice.