Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented three significant Bills related to the criminal justice system on Friday, aiming to completely revamp the antiquated British-era legal framework. The introduced bills are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, designed to replace the Indian Penal Code (1860); the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023, set to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure (1898); and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023, intended to supplant the Indian Evidence Act (1872).
While guiding the Bills through the legislative process, Shah affirmed, "These laws, including 'Raj Droho' (Sedition), will be repealed." Amidst enthusiastic applause from members of the BJP and NDA, he emphasized that the new legislation would also bring those exploiting women through fraudulent means and those involved in acts like mob lynching to justice.
Shah underlined the significance of these changes by highlighting the prolonged reliance on laws framed during the British colonial era. He further emphasized that the new legal framework would hold both law enforcement personnel and lawyers accountable.
As Shah explained, "Our aim with this Bill is to raise the conviction ratio above 90 percent. To achieve this, we've introduced a crucial provision mandating forensic teams to visit crime scenes for cases involving seven years or more imprisonment."
B. Mahtab, a member of the Biju Janata Dal, warmly welcomed these new legislations. He commended the historic nature of this transformation, saying, "It's a positive start...We're witnessing history in the making. This fulfills aspirations we've held for many years. I had written about these changes during my days as a journalist, and we addressed this matter during Vajpayee's tenure in 1998 and subsequently."
The Bills have been referred to the Standing Committee on Home for further consideration.
