In a blow to death penalty abolitionists, the Supreme Court on Friday held that judiciary has never endeavoured to make death penalty redundant or non-existent. The courts have never tried to avoid awarding capital punishment in deserving cases.
"It has never been the effort of the Courts to somehow make this punishment [sentence of death] redundant and non-existent for all practical purposes," the Court observed in a judgment.
Though the apex court has held that capital punishment should be awarded only in the rarest of rare cases and even proposed extended prison term without remission, the judiciary cannot ignore death penalty as an alternative punishment as long as it remains in the law books.
