In Brief
The State of Rajasthan challenged a High Court order striking down Rule 8(2)(i) of the Rajasthan Prisons Rules, 2006, which required prisoners serving life sentences to earn a minimum of four years of remission after completing 14 years of imprisonment before being considered for early release. The Supreme Court held that life imprisonment means imprisonment for a person's entire natural life, and remission is a matter of State grace, not a prisoner's right. The Court ruled the rule valid and consistent with Section 433-A of the Criminal Procedure Code, which prescribes only a minimum threshold. The Court also held that the requirement to lay rules before the Legislature is directory, not mandatory, and non-compliance does not invalidate the rules. Appeals allowed.
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