SC: Convicts cannot serve consecutive life terms

The Bench noted that consecutive sentences could run only if such sentences were not life sentences in view of “an obvious impossibility of a prisoner serving two consecutive life sentences”.

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The Supreme Court. (Source: File Photo)

THE SUPREME Court Tuesday ruled that a convict cannot be sentenced to serve multiple life terms consecutively but the punishment can superimpose over each other to make sure he remains behind bars for the rest of his life without any remission.

A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India T S Thakur interpreted the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the IPC to hold that it would be anomalous to state that multiple sentences for imprisonment for life can be directed to run concurrently.

“Imprisonment for life is a sentence for the remainder of the life of the offender unless of course the remaining sentence is commuted or remitted by the competent authority… any direction that requires the offender to undergo imprisonment for life twice over would be anomalous and irrational for it will disregard the fact that humans like all other living beings have but one life to live,” held the Bench.

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The Bench noted that consecutive sentences could run only if such sentences were not life sentences in view of “an obvious impossibility of a prisoner serving two consecutive life sentences”.

Following contradicting judgments by smaller benches of the court, the five-judge Bench had to examine legal provisions and it finally held that instead of life terms running consecutively, they would superimpose over each other so that any remission or commutation granted by the competent authority in one case does not ipso facto result in remission of the sentence for the other.

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