Madhurima Dhanuka

Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative

Programme Head, Prison Reforms Programme

Madhurima Dhanuka is the Programme Head of the Prison Reforms Programme at the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. In this capacity, she leads, manages and develops initiatives of the team in order to improve prison conditions; strengthen prison oversight mechanisms; strengthen pre-trial decision making; ensuring access to prompt and effective legal aid for persons in custody; and protecting rights of foreign nationals, asylum seekers and refugees in custody in India. She is a lawyer with an LL.M. in Criminal Justice from the University of Nottingham, UK. Prior to joining CHRI she was practicing in the High Court of Madhya Pradesh, India. She has been associated with CHRI since 2008 and has published numerous studies, reports and resource materials on issues relating to prisoners, legal aid and the criminal justice system.