The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed three crucial bills that would replace India’s colonial-era criminal laws. The bills—Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively. The Rajya Sabha is likely to discuss these bills and pass them today.
Stating the relevance of the new legislation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the new bills lay “emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people.” Shah had tabled the Bill in both Houses on December 12.
“I have meticulously reviewed every comma and full stop of the new criminal laws,” Shah said, underlining their alignment with the constitutional spirit. The bills were withdrawn post the monsoon session, with three revised bills introduced to accommodate necessary changes, he added.
The revised bills underwent scrutiny by the Standing Committee, opting for a re-introduction rather than official amendments.
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Critics from the Opposition, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, and the DMK, vehemently opposed the criminal law bills. Allegations were raised regarding the government’s suspension of MPs, perceived as a strategy to pass key bills without any substantial discussions.
The Congress, in particular, advocated a more extensive public debate involving judges, jurists, lawyers, criminologists, and the general public to ensure a thorough examination of the bills’ implications.