LHC tells jail authorities to file bail pleas

Undertrial inmates, those having served half of sentence to benefit along with women, juveniles

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has instructed the superintendents of jails to file bail applications of accused and convicts of various categories for their release to avoid transmission of coronavirus.

The director general of district judiciary forwarded a notification to all district and sessions judges, describing different categories of prisoners eligible for the relief.

It said the jail superintendents should move bail applications directly to the district and sessions judges concerned, with their concurrence, of the prisoners undergoing sentence of less than seven years.

Upon receipt of the applications, the district and sessions judges shall entrust them to the relevant trial courts and duty judges for appropriate orders.

The trial courts will take decisions on the applications at the earliest and in case of acceptance of bail, the prisoners will be released after obtaining bail bonds or on personal surety bonds.

Applications of the prisoners having served at least half of the sentences of seven years up to life imprisonment will be forwarded by the superintendents to the high court through its registrar.

The notification said this extraordinary concession of bail will not be applicable to the under-trial and convicted prisoners under any provision of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The relief will be applicable to under-trial prisoners charged with offences not falling in the prohibitory clause, as well and juvenile and women inmates.

The LHC said the heads of the criminal justice coordination committees should ensure that jail administrations inform the district police officers (DPO) on a daily bases about the names and addresses of the prisoners to be released. The DPOs shall ensure that such prisoners do not mix up with general public and remain in isolation at their homes for at least two weeks.

The superintendents of jails were directed to ensure that until the spread of coronavirus comes to an end, new entrants in prisons are kept separately under observation of the medical officer for two weeks.

After completion of the period to the satisfaction of the medical officer, the jail administration will be at liberty to keep new prisoners in separate cell or with the inmates not suffering from the disease.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2020.