Submission of Death Sentences for Confirmation (Section 366 to Section 371)

     Submission of Death Sentences for Confirmation - Section 366 to Section 371 of the Criminal Procedure provides provision for the Submission of Death Sentences for Confirmation.

1) Sentence of death to be submitted by Court of Session for confirmation - 

              According to Section 366 of the Criminal Procedure Code... (1) When the Court of Session passes a sentence of death, the proceedings shall be submitted to the High Court, and the sentence shall not be executed unless it is confirmed by the High Court.

(2) The Court passing the sentence shall commit the convicted person to jail custody under a warrant.



2) Power to direct further inquiry to be made or additional evidence to be taken -

         According to Section 367 of the Code of Criminal Procedure -  (1) If, when such proceedings are submitted, the High Court thinks that a further inquiry should be made into, or additional evidence taken upon, any point bearing upon the guilt or innocence of the convicted person, it may make such inquiry or take such evidence itself, or direct it to be made or taken by the Court of Session.

(2) Unless the High Court otherwise directs, the presence of the convicted person may be dispensed with when such inquiry is made or such evidence is taken.

(3) When the inquiry or evidence (if any) is not made or taken by the High Court, the result of such inquiry or evidence shall be certified to such Court.

3) Power of High Court to confirm sentence or annul the conviction

As per Section 368 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in any case submitted under section 366, the High Court-

(a) may confirm the sentence, or pass any other sentence warranted by law, or

(b) may annul the conviction, and convict the accused of any offence of which the Court of Session might have convicted him, or order a new trial on the same or an amended charge, or

(c) may acquit the accused person:

Provided that no order of confirmation shall be made under this section until the period allowed for preferring an appeal has expired, or, if an appeal is presented within such period, until such appeal is disposed of.



4) Confirmation or new sentence to be signed by two Judges

According to Section 369 of the said Code, in every case so submitted, the confirmation of the sentence, or any new sentence or order passed by the High Court, shall, when such Court consists of two or more Judges, be made, passed and signed by at least two of them.


5) Procedure in case of difference of opinion

According to Section 370 of the Code, where any such case is heard before a Bench of Judges and such Judges are equally divided in opinion, the case shall be decided in the manner provided by section 392.

6) Procedure in cases submitted to the High Court for confirmation -

As per section 371 in cases submitted by the Court of Session to the High Court for the confirmation of a sentence of death, the proper officer of the High Court shall, without delay, after the order of confirmation or other order has been made by the High Court, send a copy of the order, under the seal of the HIGH Court and attested with his official signature, to the Court of Session.


See Also...


The Judgement (Section 353 to Section 371 of The Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 )