Should hanging be replaced? SC to hear plea for humane execution methods

The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it will hear on January 21, 2026, a petition seeking to replace the current method of executing death row convicts hanging with what are claimed to be “less painful” methods such as lethal injection, electrocution, shooting, or gas chamber.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing the plea filed in 2017 by senior advocate Rishi Malhotra, who argued that the method of hanging is inhumane and should be abolished.

During the hearing, Attorney General R. Venkataramani requested the court to list the matter for January next year. “Nobody is going to be hanged now. There is no worry at all,” he said.

Malhotra, however, pointed out that the government had earlier promised to review the issue by setting up a committee but had not shared any update. The bench then scheduled the matter for further hearing in January.

In earlier hearings, the top court had expressed concern that the government was reluctant to “evolve” on this issue. The Centre had argued that lethal injections or shooting may not be feasible or less painful, and that hanging remains the simplest method.

In fact, the Ministry of Home Affairs had told the court in 2018 that hanging is “quick, simple” and does not unnecessarily increase the suffering of the prisoner. It opposed other execution methods like lethal injections or firing squads, saying they too involve significant pain.

The petition had referred to the Law Commission’s 187th Report, which suggested that the method of hanging should be replaced with more humane alternatives.

However, this entire debate raises a deeper question: can death ever be painless? Whether it is hanging, shooting, or electrocution, each method inflicts suffering in its own way. Many argue that trying to find a “less painful” way to kill someone is a contradiction in itself. Death, in any form, is painful both for the person facing it and for those watching it happen.