After more than a decade, all members of Project 39A will be moving out of National Law University Delhi. From 31st March 2025, we will collectively begin a new chapter at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad as The Square Circle Clinic. Whilst being a part of NALSAR, Hyderabad, we will have offices in Delhi, Hyderabad, Nagpur and Pune.
What are India’s new criminal laws?
This research brief provides an in-depth analysis of the final enacted versions of India’s new criminal laws, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
Annual Lecture Series: Death Penalty in India
In the sixth edition of the Project 39A Annual Lecture Series in Criminal Law, Justice U U Lalit (former Chief Justice of India) spoke about the evolution of death penalty law at the Supreme Court of India over the decades since the enactment of the Criminal Procedure Code 1973.
Annual Statistics Reports
Annual Statistics covers movements in the death row population in India as well as political and legal developments in the administration of the death penalty and the criminal justice system. The latest report covering 2024 is now available as an open-access publication.
Comparisons of India’s ‘old’ and ‘new’ criminal laws
Read three annotated comparisons of: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 which replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872.
The Verdict and Beyond
Prepared in collaboration with Enfold Proactive Health Trust, this comprehensive report is based on 264 judgments from 2019-2021 under the POCSO Act and the IPC for sexual offences against children, and perspectives of survivors, families, and CSOs.
Prisons, Courts & Legal Aid
This report presents the learnings and reflections of the Programme from its work during January 2019 to March 2021. The analysis presented aims to demonstrate empirically verifiable trends which have emerged from the Programme and reflect on them to draw lessons for improving legal aid service delivery through the LSAs.
Magistrates & Constitutional Protections
This report is based on courtroom observations in magistrate courts across six district court complexes in Delhi, over a period of three months. It draws attention to the everyday functioning of these courts and the structural barriers impacting their performance at this stage.
Forensic Science India Report (2013-2017)
The report examines the trends within India’s forensic science laboratories (FSLs) between 2013 to 2017, and the challenges faced by them in various aspects of their administration and functioning. The FSIR emphasises the need to regulate FSLs in India and provides a comprehensive set of recommendations on strengthening the Indian forensic science system.
An Analysis Of The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022
On April 18, 2022 the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 became law upon receiving the President's assent, and replaced the Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920. Project 39A’s research brief examines the Act and its interaction with other laws that currently govern the field.
Legal Representation to Undertrials in Maharashtra
In the period between 2018 to 2021, Fair Trial Fellowship Programme (Project 39A, National Law University Delhi) and Prayas (TISS Mumbai) reached out to 9570 undertrial prisoners across eight prisons in Maharashtra and facilitated release of 4504 undertrials by providing them legal representation (Programme).
Death Penalty and the Indian Supreme Court (2007-2021)
Death Penalty and the Indian Supreme Court (2007-2021) is a report that analyses trends in the Supreme Court’s death penalty juriprudence, over fifteen years.
Death Penalty Sentencing In India's Trial Courts (2018-2020)
Death Penalty Sentencing in India’s Trial Courts (2018-2020) is a pan-India study that analyses all (306) trial court judgments which imposed the death sentence, between 2018 and 2020.
Looking Beyond the Crime: BioPsychoSocial Insights for Criminal Law
The lecture reflects on cutting edge interdisciplinary research on biological, psychological, and sociological factors that influence crime and criminality. It also draws attention to the role which psychologists, sociologists, social workers, health practitioners and professionals from other such fields can play in the criminal justice system.
Deathworthy: A Mental Health Perspective of the Death Penalty
Deathworthy, presents empirical data on mental illness and intellectual disability among death row prisoners in India and the psychological consequences of living on death row. The report finds that an overwhelming majority of death row prisoners interviewed (62.2%) had a mental illness and 11% had intellectual disability.
Matters of Judgment
Matters of Judgment (2017) is an opinion study with 60 former Indian Supreme Court Judges on the death penalty and the criminal justice system.
Death Penalty Sentencing in Trial Courts
Death Penalty Sentencing in Trial Courts: Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra (2000-2015) is a report based on analysis of all (215) trial court judgments from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra imposing death sentences between 2000 and 2015.
The Carceral Politics Of Sexual Violence: Notes On A Political Economy Of Criminal Law
Project 39A hosted Dr. Prabha Kotiswaran to deliver the 2nd edition of its Annual Lecture in Criminal Law on 22nd November 2019 , to initiate re-thinking on carceral approaches of the state towards crimes against women.
The Dissenter as Criminal: Reflections on Dissent and the Law
In the third edition of Project 39A Annual Lecture Series in Criminal Law, Prof. Pratap Bhanu Mehta spoke on the topic The Dissenter as Criminal: Reflections on Dissent and the Law. It provides a broader perspective on the current crisis of liberal constitutionalism in India and its implications for criminal and constitutional law alike.
Crime, Punishment And Justice In India: The Trajectories Of Criminal Law
In an attempt to facilitate the discourse on criminal law development, Project 39A hosted its inaugural criminal law lecture on 28th September, 2018. Justice S. Muralidhar (Judge, Delhi High Court) spoke about ‘Crime, Punishment and Justice in India: The Trajectories of Criminal Law in India and introductory remarks were given by Dr. Menaka Guruswamy (Advocate, Supreme Court of India).
Death Penalty India Report (Hindi) 2020
Death Penalty India Report (2016) is based on interviews with all (373) prisoners sentenced to death in India and their families. It documents their socio-economic profile and maps their experience within the criminal justice system.
Death Penalty India Report
Death Penalty India Report (2016) is based on interviews with all (373) prisoners sentenced to death in India and their families. It documents their socio-economic profile and maps their experience within the criminal justice system.