The Madhava Menon Committee on Criminal Justice System has described prosecution to be the weakest link of the criminal justice system and recommended an independent Directorate of Prosecution accountable to the courts.

“An independent Directorate of Prosecution accountable to the courts need to be set up under the control of the proposed Board of Criminal Justice, with a well-trained, well-paid cadre of prosecutors for delivery of quality justice”, said the Committee report, which was submitted here on Monday to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil.

The 84 page report also recommended non-registration of FIR in police station to be treated as a criminal misconduct.

Corruption

Besides, the Committee recommended an organisation to deal with select crimes threatening national security and an independent law enforcing agency to investigate corruption in criminal justice.

The panel headed by Prof N R Madhava Menon, Former Director of National Judicial Academy also referred to economic crimes and favoured special schemes for protection of witnesses and victims, like creation of a Victim Compensation Fund at the national level.

The Committee was appointed in May 2006 by the Ministry of Home Affairs, with Prof N R Madhav Menon as Chairman, and Anil Choudhary, Former Special Secretary (Internal Security), Government of India, Mohan Dayal Rijhwani, Senior Advocate, Mumbai and Kamal Kumar, Former Director of National Police Academy, as its members.

Menon said a joint sector organisation of Central and state governments was needed to deal with crimes such as terrorism, communal violence and organised crime.

It recommended an independent law enforcement agency to undertake investigations of corruption since CBI was “not independent enough for the job” and said that all judges should disclose their assets annually.