Author: Gyanendra Kumar Pandey, PhD Scholar at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur
Co-Author: Dr.Harish Chandra Pandey, Assistant Professor at Department of Law, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Gorakhpur
ABSTRACT
Witnesses and their testimonies are crucial to the criminal justice system’s decision-making process. As the most important actors in the process, witnesses are frequently coerced or blackmailed by the parties to the case to alter or take back their testimony. As a result, instances fail to come to a truthful and logical conclusion. In their pursuit of justice, the victims are let down by the legal system. Compared to the accused’s extensive variety of rights, witnesses’ and victims’ rights are relatively restricted. As a result, safeguarding witnesses becomes essential to fulfilling the criminal justice system’s main goal.”. Maintaining the rule of law requires that witnesses be able to testify in court or assist with police investigations without worrying about intimidation or retaliation. More and more nations are passing laws or implementing policies to safeguard witnesses whose testimony in court or cooperation with law enforcement would jeopardize their lives or the lives of their loved ones. In order for witnesses to feel secure enough to give a deposition, India must have an efficient witness protection program. As of now, India lacks legislation specifically addressing witness protection. An outline of the 2018 Witness Protection Scheme is provided in this article.
Keywords: – Witness, Protection, Human Rights, India.
