India, March 20 -- Judicial reform need of the hour

It is a matter of satisfaction that finally four convicts of Nirbhaya rape-cum-death were ultimately hanged to death at 5.30 am on March 20 after crossing all hurdles created by lawyers of convicts including last-moment mid-night effort to knock court-doors. Even politicians cutting across party-lines expressed satisfaction on final justice to Nirbhaya who faced most inhuman torture on December 16, 2012.

But legal loopholes brought in the whole affair calls for immediate reform in the system whereby crimes attracting death-penalty may be heard on fast track at all stages of trial from District Court to Supreme Court. Provision of filing mercy-petition may not be there in case death-sen...