Subject: Polity
Under Article 72, the President is vested with the power to grant pardons, as well as to commute, remit, reprieve, or respite sentences. This power applies in cases involving offences against Union laws, sentences passed by military courts, and death penalties.
The pardoning power is designed to provide a check against potential judicial errors or excessively harsh punishments. It allows the President to completely absolve a person of both conviction and sentence, or to reduce the severity of the punishment, all on the advice of the Union Cabinet.
This mechanism not only acts as a corrective tool within the legal system but also underscores the humanitarian aspect of the executive power, ensuring that justice is tempered with mercy when warranted.