RULE O’FLAW is proud to announce the release of our second video, ‘Bail Out’, about under-trials and bail in Asia’s penal systems.
This is in follow up to last week’s release of the very first video of Asian Human Rights Commission’s brand new satire program, RULE O’FLAW. The video titled ‘Case Cracked’, has been extremely well received.
RULE O’FLAW hopes to fulfill the growing demand for such videos to communicate the tragicomic nature of life amidst dysfunctional justice institutions, by regularly releasing videos that viewers can watch and enjoy and also use to further their human rights work.
The reality faced by under-trials in Asian justice systems by itself showcases how broken, skewed, and unjust the operations of these institutions are. This week’s video exposes how ‘Jail not Bail’ is the de-facto rule in how the system operates, especially for poor citizens and what the executive views as opposition.
While innumerable Asian jurisdictions harbor deplorable conditions for under-trials, few are as well documented as India (see here, here and here). The world’s largest democracy has prisons bursting at the seams, and over 2/3rd of those lodged in these overcrowded prisons are under-trials, i.e. persons who have not yet been pronounced guilty or innocent, and these persons are denied the right to vote. Despite the procedural codes providing for the release of such under-trials, many have served and continue to serve more than the maximum possible sentences for the crimes they are being tried for.
The “most powerful Supreme Court in the World” can do little to nothing about changing the status quo. In what is considered a landmark ruling, in 2014, the apex court ordered for the release of under-trials who had served half their maximum possible terms; however, there is still no clarity how many such under-trials have been released.
The facts seem unable to shake the people.
So we have turned to satire.
Access this video online at www.facebook.com/AHRCRuleoFlaw/
Write to use to share your feedback and ideas at satire@ahrc.asia
