Supreme Court of India

Suhas Chakma v. Union of India & Ors.

Neutral citation

Reported as [2024] 10 S.C.R. 1769

Bench B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan JJ.

Decided 23 October 2024

INSC stands for INDIAN SUPREME COURT. A neutral citation scheme assigned by the Court itself, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter. INSC is the neutral citation scheme assigned by the Supreme Court, so a judgment can be cited without depending on a commercial law reporter.

3 Supreme Court benches have cited this judgment.

What the Court ordered

In view of the above, we dispose of the matter by issuing the following directions:- i.

Judgment, page 30

From the headnote

Issue for Consideration Access to free and timely legal aid for prison inmates. Headnotes† Free Legal Aid – Constitutional and Statutory Framework – Constitution of India – Articles 21, 39- – Equal justice and free legal aid – Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 – ss.3, 4, 6, 9, 12-15 – Policies and Schemes by NALSA for making legal services available, creating awareness about convict’s right of appeal, availability of free legal services – Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) by NALSA on Access to Legal Aid Services to Prisoners and Functioning of the Prison Legal Aid Clinics 2022

Authorities it was built on

1997 Dr. K. Ramulu and Anr. Etc. v. Dr. S. Suryaprakash Rao and Ors. cited by 43
1978 Madray Hayawadanrao Hoskot v. State of Maharashtra cited by 32
1979 Hussainara Khatoon & Ors. v. Home Secretary, State of Bihar, Patna cited by 15
1979 Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration cited by 11
1986 Suk Das & Anr. v. Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh cited by 6
2022 Ramanand @ Nandlal Bharti v. State of Uttar Pradesh cited by 4
1981 Khatri & Ors. Etc. v. State of Bihar & Ors. cited by 3
2024 Girish Gandhi v. The State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors. cited by 2
2023 Sanjit Saha & Anr. v. The State of West Bengal cited by 2

Where later benches applied it

2025 Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra and Another referred to
2025 Sovaran Singh Prajapati v. The State of Uttar Pradesh referred to
2026 Shankar Mahto v. The State of Bihar mentioned

Of those, 2 referred to · 1 mentioned

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