MATTERS OF JUDGEMENT
WHEN HE INDICATED AN INCLINATION TO COMMUTE THE DEATH SENTENCE, I JUST DIDN’T WANT TO HURT THE SENTIMENTS OF A PERSON.” “The lawyer who was defending the accused in the High Court came after the judgment and asked me—‘Everybody in the bar knew that you would give a death sentence. So how did you ultimately agree to a commutation?’ ‘Now that the judgment is delivered I can tell you the reason. It was because the chief justice is leaving the High Court in a few days and being elevated to the Supreme Court. I told the lawyer, when he indicated an inclination to commute the death sentence, I just didn’t want to hurt the sentiments of a person.” A judge who has confirmed death sentence for 13 persons in the Supreme Court.
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