Malimath Committee
Also called: Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System · Topic: Justice Delivery: Subordinate Courts, Tribunals, Legal Aid and Judicial Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Malimath Committee, formally the Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System, reported in 2003. It said the system cared too little for victims and called for victim-centred justice, which means giving victims a bigger role and more support. It also suggested a standard of proof lower than "beyond reasonable doubt". The standard of proof is how sure a court must be before it convicts someone. The committee's ideas were part of the background to the criminal law reforms of 2023.
Example
Its proposal to lower the standard of proof was strongly debated. Critics said it could raise the risk of convicting innocent people. Its focus on victims, however, influenced later changes, such as keeping victims informed about how their case is going.
Don't confuse with
- Law Commission of India: a standing advisory body that serves 3-year terms and reports on many areas of law. The Malimath Committee was a one-time committee on criminal justice only.
Related concepts
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023
- Mob lynching
- Community service
- Trial in absentia
- Witness Protection Scheme 2018
- Public prosecutor
- Inter-operable Criminal Justice System