Over the past decade, India has seen a 40% increase in death-eligible offences. Besides our pro-bono representation work, our research team builds critical evidence and perspectives on the conditions, experiences, and impact of the death penaltyOur extensive research work on the death penalty has been recognised in India and abroad. Our work has been cited by the Supreme Court of India, the Law Commission of India, in parliamentary debates, and also in reports of the UN Secretary General and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Critical engagement with the quality of forensic evidence in criminal defence cases along with institutional engagement on forensics is integral to our work. Apart from a commitment to reliable forensic evidence in our own case work, we also look into the regulatory framework governing forensic labs, and the infrastructure, personnel, and budget constraints they face.

Our work aims to bridge the gap between criminal law, the justice system, and developments in mental health related fields. We work towards institutionalising a rights-based approach to mental health in the Indian criminal justice system.

Our experience and research has shown us how people with socio-economically marginalised identities are not only disproportionately implicated in the criminal justice system but also find it harder to get out of it due to the realities of how bail laws operate.

India has yet to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture despite being a signatory to it since 1997. There is also no comprehensive national legislative framework concerning custodial violence.

Wrongful convictions are a deeply concerning yet barely documented reality within the Indian justice system. Despite judicial acknowledgements of wrongful convictions in individual cases, there is no sustained engagement with them as a systemic issue.

Across India and the world, there is a growing reliance on science and technology to address the complex challenges of criminal justice. Science and technology are increasingly seen as tools that can bring objectivity, efficiency, and neutrality to the system. However, the underlying biases of technological solutions and the implications for civil liberties are aspects that require critical reflection, research and intervention.