New Delhi, Aug 7: In order to end unnecessarily long trials in lower courts over petty offences, the Supreme Court has asked the Law Commission to recommend to the government a suitable amendment in the IPC to make all such offences compoundable.
A bench of Justices Markandey Katju and T.S. Thakur gave this directive while taking note of the fact that the cases such as pick pocketing, road rage, hurling abuses, petty mischief, drunken misconduct, trespass, public nuisance etc linger for years.
The apex court felt that making such offences compoundable would relieve the trial courts of the burden of long proceedings and help in developing the culture of reconciliation in the country with parties agreeing to resolve their petty disputes with mutual consent.
There are over 40 offences in the IPC which could easily be made compoundable.
The bench also directed that the copy of the order should be sent to the law secretary to enable him to place it before the union law minister, Mr Veerappa Moily, for suitable action.