Abstract

Witness protection legislation in India has long been overdue. The Supreme Court of India ordered the Center to establish a system to defend the witness' interests following multiple cases of witness assaults. The Witness Protection Scheme, presented by the Centre, was authorised by the Supreme Court on 5 December 2018. All countries and union territories were directed to propose legislation on it. Although few governments have accepted the programme in its text and spirit, many have made little progress. Through this paper, the author will highlight and analysis the Witness Protection Scheme 2018 its background, important provisions, future applications and recommendations for implementation in the scheme. However, there are several areas which the plan has failed to address, such as internet bullying, financial difficulties, the balance of police forces, the mindset of witnesses and the interests of vulnerable witnesses. A number of proposals to make the scheme more witness-centered are made.

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