A CRITIQUE ON 262ND REPORT OF THE LAW COMMISSION OF INDIA

Abstract Law reform has been a continuing process in Indian history. Law Commissions were constituted from time to time by the government and recommended legislative reforms in order to clarify particular branches of law. The 35th Report of the Law Commission on Capital Punishment in 1967 recommended for retention of the capital punishment considering that time was not ripe to abolish the same. The constitutionality of death penalty has been challenged in various cases before the judiciary as well. The 262nd Report of the Law Commission of India on Death Penalty submitted recently in August 2015 has undoubtedly raised certain questions and compels to ponder over. The report has recommended that India need to move towards abolition of the death penalty but at the same time favoured its retention for offences related to terrorism and waging war. The article is an attempt to critically analyse the recommendations made by the Law Commission of India in its 262nd Report and endeavours to give certain suggestions for providing appropriate means of access to justice to the death convicts. Introduction: Law Reform has been a continuing