Criminal Code Bills To Replace Colonial-Era Laws Passed In Lok Sabha

Today, the Lok Sabha passed three key bills intended to replace India's outdated criminal laws from the colonial era.

The trio of legislations - The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 - are set to supersede the Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

Introducing the bills in Lok Sabha today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the new legislations will supersede the outdated colonial era law, which are no longer appropriate for the current times.

He emphasised that these new bills underscore the concept of Indianness, the principles of the Indian Constitution, and the welfare of the citizens.

"I have gone through every comma, full stop of the new criminal laws," the minister said, insisting that they were in consonance with the spirit of Constitution.

Shah stated that the bills were retracted following the monsoon session and replaced with three new ones, as few changes were to be made.

The Standing Committee has reviewed the new bills. Rather than proposing official amendments, the government decided to reintroduce the bills.