Imprisonment For Life

Imprisonment for life, S. 428, Cr PC, 1973, does not apply to those convicted for 'imprisonment for life'. It is applicable only in case of accused persons who have, on conviction, been sentenced to imprison-ment for a term and the Penal Code as well as the Criminal Procedure Code make and maintain a clear distinction between 'imprisonment for a term' and 'imprisonment for life' in that the former means imprisonment for a definite or fixed period while the latter means imprisonment for the remainder of the natural life of the convict. The periods of life term mentioned in s. 57, IPC or the remission rules contained in Jail Manual (e.g. Para 516B of Punjab/Haryana Jail Manual) are irrele-vant in this context, Kartar Singh v. State of Haryana, AIR 1982 SC 1439: (1982) 3 SCC 1: (1983) 1 SCR 445.

The expression 'imprisonment for life' must be read in the context of s. 45, IPC. So read in it would ordinarily mean imprisonment for the full or complete span of life, Ashok Kumar v. Union of India, AIR 1991 SC 1792 (1800): (1991) 3 SCC 498: (1991) 1 SCR 858. [Indian Penal Code, s. 45]