SC begins process to set up mechanism to ensure orders on jail inmates reach authorities on time

The Supreme Court on Friday began the process of setting up a mechanism to ensure that court orders pertaining to jail inmates reach the authorities on time, a move aimed at addressing the problem of delay in release of prisoners because of communication hiccups.

“In this information and technology age we are still looking at the skies for pigeons to communicate orders,” said a bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana.

The bench has taken up suo motu the issue of failure of jail authorities to release prisoners on time as part of a strategy to check the spread of Covid-19. Their release from jails was held up because of delay in the court’s official orders reaching the jail authorities.


Solicitor General Tushar Mehta suggested that the bench carry a line on the court’s website that all orders and rulings made public thereon must be treated as official orders of the court. That would enable a greater number of people to use it, he said.

The bench asked the court registry to draw up within two weeks a scheme which would ensure secure and faster transmission of court orders to the jail authorities. The other members of the bench were Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice AS Bopanna. The scheme will be known by the acronym FASTER (fast and secure transmission of electronic record for speedier execution of orders). It may come into effect within a month.

The fundamental right to liberty of under trials and convicts are further eroded by delays in court orders reaching the jail staff.