00:00Lawyers are urging the government to enforce existing laws that require criminals to compensate the families of their victims,
00:07saying the measure would deliver justice and act as a deterrent to crime.
00:12As Jayananda Rao, N. Sivanantan and J. S. Naiker said,
00:17the Criminal Procedure Code already allows prosecutors to apply to the court for convicted persons to compensate their victims
00:24in cases that result in death or injury.
00:27Jayananda told FMT that forcing a convict to make financial contributions could act as a deterrent to would-be offenders,
00:35adding that news reports indicate a rise in road fatalities caused by drivers who disregard the law.
00:42Sivanantan said enforcement measures such as freezing an offender's personal accounts or seizing and selling assets
00:49may require time, effort, and financial resources,
00:52and he urged the government to amend the law to allow the families of victims in criminal cases,
00:58including road accidents,
01:00to recover compensation from the offender's Employees' Providence Fund accounts.
01:05Naiker, an insurance lawyer, explained that a motor insurance policy generally excludes liability
01:11when the driver is found to be under the influence of alcohol.
01:14However, he said that an injured party or the next of kin of a deceased victim
01:20will not be deprived of damages under the Road Transport Act 1987
01:24and the relevant motor policy if they succeed in a civil claim.
01:29Panyu Zhou, FMT.
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