PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF COVID-19 AND DELAY ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PAKISTANI AND INDIAN JUSRISDICTIONS

Abstract

Objective:    COVID-19, as pandemic declared by WHO in March 2020, has brought several adverse effects on the functioning of the criminal justice system not only in one nation but also all over the world. This research examines the psychological impacts of the pandemic on the administration of the criminal justice system and all the parties concerned like accused, victim, and witnesses/evidence. As far as the objective of the research is concerned, the research is based on the data found by the international organizations while highlighting the problems and effects of the COVID-19, and based on the empirical method where the survey and interviews have been conducted by the researchers in Pakistan and India. COVID-19 has added to the problem of delay while harmfully affecting the process of criminal justice with a huge backlog of the cases, and rights and mental health of the accused, victim and witnesses. The pandemic of COVID-19 has negatively affected the criminal justice system which resulted in the huge backlog of the cases, delay in dispensation of the justice, and several psychological and procedural effects on the rights of the accused and victims as well.