Four prominent British lawyers have written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging him to intervene in the ongoing prosecution of British national Jagtar Singh Johal in India. The lawyers contend that the continued legal proceedings against Mr Johal would constitute a manifest breach of the double jeopardy rule, which prohibits an individual from being tried twice for the same alleged offence.
Among the signatories to the letter is Dominic Grieve KC, who previously served as the Attorney General for England and Wales. The collective appeal highlights concerns over the fairness and legality of the charges Mr Johal faces, which they describe as 'rigged'. Mr Johal, a human rights activist, was arrested in Punjab, India, in 2017 and has been held without conviction on various charges related to an alleged conspiracy to murder and other offences.
The legal team argues that some of the charges Mr Johal is now facing have already been addressed or are fundamentally linked to previous proceedings, making their re-introduction a violation of established legal principles. The double jeopardy rule is a cornerstone of legal systems designed to protect individuals from repeated prosecution and harassment for the same alleged crimes after an acquittal or conviction, or in circumstances where the initial proceedings were flawed.
This intervention from senior legal figures in the UK places additional pressure on the British government to address the human rights and legal concerns surrounding Mr Johal's case. His detention and the subsequent legal processes have been a source of significant concern for his family and human rights organisations in the UK and internationally since his initial arrest.
The letter to Prime Minister Starmer asks him to formally request that Indian prosecutors drop the charges in question. Such a move would represent a direct diplomatic intervention in a foreign legal process, underscoring the severity with which these senior lawyers view the alleged breach of international legal norms and Mr Johal's rights as a British citizen.
The call for intervention comes as Mr Johal continues to navigate the Indian legal system, with his family and supporters consistently campaigning for his release and a fair legal process. The spotlight on his case intensified following allegations of torture during his initial detention, which the Indian authorities deny.
Source: Lawyers' letter to Keir Starmer