New Criminal Law: Electronic Evidence Valid In Court From July 1, Significant Legal Changes Ahead

The implementation of the 3 new laws, including the Indian Evidence Act, will recognize electronic evidence as valid documents in court from July 1st. The new law defines electronic records as ‘documents’ and statements obtained electronically as ‘evidence.’ This grants legal acceptability & validity to electronic or digital records.

Dissemination of New Laws at Police Station Level-

The Bihar Police have informed police officers from headquarters to the station level about these new laws. It has been explained that the Indian Evidence Act 2023 expands the definition of documents to include electronic or digital records, emails, server logs, documents available on computers, messages on smartphones or laptops, websites, and locational evidence. Additionally the standards have been added to consider electronic and digital records as primary evidence.

Recording Incidents with Smartphones, E-filing with Laptops-

With the implementation of the new law, the importance of electronic and digital evidence in proving accusations against accused persons will increase. This is expected to make decision-making at the court level easier and reduce the time taken for verdicts. The training of police personnel across the state to align with the new laws is almost complete.

Equipping Police Officers with Smartphones and Laptops-

All investigating officers are being equipped with smartphones and laptops. Police officers will need to gather evidence at crime scenes using smartphones to record videos, take photographs, and collect witness statements. Also, the laptops will facilitate connections to police and judicial networks, saving considerable time in legal processes.

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