Human Rights Commissions on 9 December 1998. The Chairperson, NHRC called for an
exchange of ideas on the building up of appropriate traditions in the administration of the
institutions as well as in respect of matters relating to financial discipline and other issues.
The following conclusions were arrived at on certain issues of mutual interest :
*
In matters of changes in the Jail Manuals, the State Commissions may have
discussions with the respective State Governments.
On jurisdictional issues, the January 1996 order made by the then Chairperson
Justice Ranganath Misra and Justice V.S. Malimath may be followed.
The transfer of cases from the National Commission to the State Commission
and vice-versa may not be possible, as specific statutory provision is needed to
enable this.
In respect of custodial death cases, the present instructions of the National Human
Rights Commission could be changed to the effect that the State authorities could
be instructed to also inform the concerned State Human Rights Commission of
custodial deaths in respect of that particular State.
Guidelines need to be framed for videotaping of post-mortems, in order to make
the videotape effedive and useful in processing custodial death cases.
Two meetings between the NHRC and SHRCs may be held every year for the
exchange of views and ideas, one in Delhi and the other, preferably by rotation,
in a State.
The National Human Rights Commission may arrange to share information on
research with all the State Commissions.
Important decisions and rulings of the National Commission may be circulated
by it to all State Commissions.
15.11 The meeting also discussed the possibility of creating Human Rights Celts, similar to
the Legal Aid Cells, in the Bar Associations.
15.12 The State Human Rights Commissions were informed that the powers, jurisdiction
and procedures of Human Rights Courts and amendments to the Protection of Human Rights
Act had been referred to the Justice Ahmadi Committee and State Commissions would be
welcome to present their views to that Committee.