New Criminal Laws Replacing Colonial Era Codes to Come Into Force from July

Three new criminal laws, replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Indian Evidence Act from the British era, and the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), will come into force from July 1, the government notified on Saturday. The three new criminal laws are The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and The Bharatiya Sakshaya Act. The new laws aim at a complete overhaul of the British-era laws giving a clear definition of terrorism, abolishing sedition as a crime and introducing a new section titled "offences against the state" -- among many other changes.

The Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita, 2023, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023, and The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 were passed by Parliament on December 21 last year.

They were enacted into law after they got assent from President Droupadi Murmu on December 25 last year. They will replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 and the IPC.

According to experts, the three new laws will make punishments more stringent for terrorism, lynching, and offences endangering national security.

While 20 new offences have been added to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 19 provisions that existed in IPC have been deleted. In 33 offences, the punishment of imprisonment has been increased.

In 83 provisions, the punishment of fine has been enhanced, while in 23 offences, the mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced and in six offences the punishment of 'community service' has been introduced.

The major changes proposed in the new criminal laws include the introduction of the definition of a child; the inclusion of transgender in the definition of 'gender', the inclusion of electronic and digital records in the definition of the document and the widening of the definition of 'movable' to include property of every description.

Presenting the criminal bills in Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that laws, once implemented, will ensure the end of the 'tareekh-pe-tareekh' (date of next hearing in a case) era and justice will be delivered within three years.

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