Mangaluru: Supreme Court Judge Justice S Abdul Nazeer said on Saturday that the long trial process is itself the punishment for the accused in the current judicial system and there is a need to bring reforms in rules on granting bail to undertrials. 

He was delivering the Silver Jubilee Endowment Lecture at a programme organised by Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Law College, Centre for Post Graduate Studies and Research in Law here.

Justice Nazeer said many undertrials undergo trial for more than 10 to 15 years. Out of 6.10 lakh prisoners in the country, nearly 80% are undertrials, he added. 

He said some accused get bail and many accused continue to languish in jail as they have failed to comply with bail conditions. A study conducted by National Law College in New Delhi has revealed that 14% of undertrials are unable to comply with bail conditions. It took about a month for 35% of undertrials to comply with bail conditions and get released from prison, he said.

Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade said, "Law as a subject is gaining popularity these days and many students opting for it".