Witness protection must in criminal justice system: Moily

In the backdrop of the Supreme Court supporting a witness protection mechanism, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said it should be made part of the criminal justice system.

In the backdrop of the Supreme Court supporting a witness protection mechanism, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily on Tuesday said it should be made part of the criminal justice system.

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"In the report on public order, I had mentioned that this (witness protection) is a must and we should mandate this kind of reform in the criminal justice system," Moily told PTI.

"The Law ministry will be willing to examine any proposal worked out by the Home ministry," he said.

The report on public order, submitted in 2007, called for statutory programme for guaranteeing anonymity of witnesses and for witness protection in specified cases. It also called for penalties for those found guilty of perjury after a summary trial.

In a recent observation, the apex court said "in cases involving influential people, the common experience is that witnesses do not come forward because of fear and pressure... (it) depicts a tremendous need for witness protection in our country if criminal justice administration has to be a reality."