On Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah presented three revised criminal law bills in Lok Sabha that aim to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872. These amended bills, namely ‘The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023,’ ‘The Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023,’ and ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023,’ were introduced to replace the previously passed bills from the monsoon session.
Shah informed the House about the withdrawal of the previous bills, which had already been approved by Lok Sabha earlier. He indicated that some alterations were necessary, leading to the introduction of these updated versions. The revised bills underwent scrutiny by the Standing Committee, leading to their re-presentation rather than proposing official amendments.
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suggested a more thorough scrutiny of the bills before their approval. Responding to this, Shah reiterated that the Standing Committee had examined the bills, allowing members ample time to review them. He also announced plans for a debate on Thursday, followed by his response to the bills on Friday.
The introduction of these bills marks an attempt to modernize and update India’s criminal law framework, aligning it with contemporary needs and challenges. The revised legislation aims to bring essential changes to the existing laws governing crime, procedure, and evidence in the country.
The bills were initially tabled in the lower House on August 11 and had been referred to the Standing Committee for further examination and review. Their reintroduction signifies a meticulous reconsideration of legal provisions to ensure a more comprehensive and effective criminal justice system for India.