The Execution of Bhagat Singh

Bhagat was an Indian nationalist considered to be one of the most influential revolutionaries of the Indian Independence movement. His reputation has outshone all participants in the struggle up to and almost including Gandhi. At first sight this seems incredible. He was only 23 when executed on the charge of murder, having already received a life sentence for bombing the Central Legislative Assembly. But it must be remembered that pre-independence India had two rival approaches to the quest for freedom: one based on the creed of non-violent Gandhism: the other a Marxist revolutionary call-to-arms movement championed by Bhagat Singh. Had he lived, the history of the Indian sub-continent would have been very different. The British made use of a legislative power to make an Ordinance on the basis of `peace, order and good government' to try, convict and hang. The Ordinance was never approved by the Central Assembly or even the British Parliament. The three-judge Special Tribunal was mandated to complete the hearing within a fixed period. The 457 prosecution witnesses were not allowed to be cross-examined. The dramatic story of Bhagat Singh is still relevant today: so much so that there are now moves afoot to grant him an official pardon.

“Professor Juss has produced the definitive study of the travesty of justice that was the trial and execution of Indian revolutionary Bhagat Singh. Written from a legal perspective, and based on comprehensive archival research, the book offers a powerful rebuttal of the tired clich”

Remarkable and devastating, a moment of British colonial history that is meticulously and brilliantly told, and deeply resonant for our own times. -- Philippe Sands, Professor of Law, University College London, and author of EAST WEST STREET and THE RATLINE
é that the British introduced the rule of law in colonial India. -- Kim A. Wagner, Professor of Global and Imperial History, Queen Mary University of London, and author of AMRITSAR 1919
Bhagat Singh was tried and executed for assassinating a British officer at the high noon of Empire. His trial became a defining moment for the British who prided themselves on their judicial system. This meticulously researched book, which reads like a thriller, tells us the fascinating story of Bhagat Singh who became a folk hero almost immediately after his execution. -- Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, School of International Service, American University, Washington, D.C.

Dr Satvinder Singh Juss Ph.D (Cantab) FRSA, is a Professor of Law at King's College London, a practising Barrister and a Deputy Judge of the Upper Tribunal (IAC). He is a former Human Rights Fellow at Harvard Law School and Fellow of Emmanuel College Cambridge. He has been a Migration Commissioner at the Royal Society of Arts and worked with the Centre for Social Justice on Human Trafficking, which led to anti-trafficking legislation being passed in 2015. As a Barrister, he has acted for governments of Belize, Bermuda and Trinidad. He has published widely on the subjects of human rights, constitutional law, and international refugee law. Professor Juss is fluent in Punjabi and Urdu.

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