WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM
Author – PARAS CHUGH, STUDENT OF RNB GLOBAL UNIVERSITY, BIKANER
Best Citation – PARAS CHUGH, WITNESS PROTECTION PROGRAM, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JURISPRUDENCE, 1 (1) of 2023, Pg. 50-56, ISBN – 978-81-960677-6-2.
ABSTRACT
The ability of the courts to punish the culprit and provide justice to the victim can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of criminal justice administration. Courts rely on the evidence presented by the parties, whether it be in oral or written form, to determine guilt. By way of witness versions, the oral testimony is presented. Witnesses provide the courts with important information that helps them prove the guilt of the accused. The testimonies of witnesses help the courts make wise decisions. As a result, the witness is crucial to the administration of the criminal justice system. Whittaker Chambers stated that because of this, “In seeking the truth, he plays that sacred function of the sun, which removes the darkness of ignorance and reveals the face of justice, surrounded by devils of humanity and compassion.”[1] But the sad reality is that the state of witnesses in the legal system is getting worse and worse every day. On a daily basis, stories of witnesses being coerced, threatened, harassed, or intimidated are emerging. All of these incidents instill fear in the minds of the witnesses, causing them to hesitate to go forward and help with the legal process and frequently show hostility. Also, a witness may falter because our nation lacks a system for witness protection. The Law Commission of India underlined the difficulties the witness faced over the course of the trial in its numerous findings and suggested incorporating a thorough strategy on witness protection. The Indian legal system’s policy about the need for witness protection was revised by the Hon. Supreme Court of India through its ruling. The purpose of this research paper is to analyse the subject of witness protection in India as well as the difficulties witnesses experience in the criminal court system. Keywords: Witness, Criminal Justice Administration, Hostile, Witness Protection Regime, etc.
[1] https://www.scconline.com/blog/post/tag/sit-and-cbi-probe/