Srinagar, Sept. 24 -- Srinagar- The Supreme Court on Thursday held that a sessions court cannot direct a convict sentenced to life imprisonment to remain in prison for the remainder of their natural life by excluding statutory remission and commutation benefits.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi said the power to impose a special category sentence of life imprisonment without remission lies with constitutional courts and not trial courts.

The court said while life imprisonment ordinarily denotes imprisonment for the remainder of the convict's life, a sessions court cannot curtail the statutory powers of remission and commutation available under law.

"A direction by the sessions court that imprisonment for life shal...