MHA issues revised guidelines for Mutual Legal Assistance

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday, January 8, issued the revised guidelines for Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters. As per reports, the revision has been done to further the Government of India's policy of zero tolerance for crime and fastrack the dispensation of justice. 

According to the MHA, "The revised guidelines provide step-by-step guidance to the investigation agencies for drafting and processing Letters Rogatory/Mutual Legal Assistance Requests and Service of Summons, Notices and other Judicial Documents. By incorporating various legal and technological developments in recent years, it aims to make the documentation in this regard more precise and focused as well as compliant with International requirements."

India enters in Mutual Legal Assistance with 42 countries

According to reports, the MHA stated that India has now entered into the Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements with 42 countries. Further, India is also a signatory to various international conventions like UNCAC, UNTOC, etc. 

Read: Chhattisgarh: Advisor to MHA K Vijay Kumar takes meeting in red zone to review security

Govt's proposal to set up special fast-track courts

The Union Government earlier in September last year had proposed to set up a total of 1,023 fast-track special courts for expeditious trial of over 1.66 lakh pending cases of crime against women and children across the country. The Department of Justice under Union Law Ministry had stated that the special courts are expected to dispose of at least 165 cases per year. 

Read: EXCLUSIVE: UP Police's report to MHA accessed, PFI planning for the last 3 months

Further, as per the Supreme Court's direction, out of the total courts, 389 courts are expected to exclusively handle all the cases that are registered under the Protection of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act while the remaining courts will be dealing with either rape cases or both rape and POCSO act cases. 

Read: Assam govt mulling ban on PFI, MHA receives UP police report on group's links to violence

Read: BJP's GVL Narasimha Rao: Radical groups have penetrated the so-called student protests

(WITH ANI INPUTS)