Giving voice sample to police does not violate privacy, rules top court

sfg-2026
ForumIAS LATEST
    1. Ethics Redbook 3rd Edition: A Textbook That Teaches You How to Think Ethically Click Here to Read More →
    2. 21 Sept. | Forum Residential Coaching (FRC) for UPSC preparation Click Here to know more →
    3. 21 Sept. | GS Advance Program (GSAP) for UPSC 2027 Mains starts from 10th Oct. Click Here to Read More →

  1. The Supreme Court has ruled that a judicial magistrate can order an accused to give his voice samples even against his consent in the course of a criminal investigation.
  2. The judgment came on an appeal filed by petitioner against a 2010 order of a magistrate court in Uttar Pradesh allowing police to get his voice sample.
  3. Article 20(3) of the Constitution mandated that no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself.
  4. However,the court said that giving voice sample by itself did not incriminate a person.Hence,judicial order to give such a sample does not infringe the fundamental rights to privacy or against self-incrimination.
  5. The 87th Report of the Law Commission of India in 1980 describes a voice print as a visual recording of voice.Voiceprints resemble fingerprints as each person has a distinctive voice with characteristic features dictated by vocal cavities and articulates.
Print Friendly and PDF
Blog
Academy
Community