The implementation of three new criminal laws, namely Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, which are set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act respectively, is scheduled to commence from July 1 of this year.
A gazette notification to this effect was issued by the Union Home Ministry on February 23, 2024.
Sub Section (2) of Section 106 of the BNS, pertaining to ‘causing death of a person by rash and negligent driving of a vehicle’, has been put on hold. This provision had sparked protests in various parts of the country. The cause for dissent stemmed from its augmentation of the maximum prison sentence to ten years for individuals implicated in such offenses, who opt to flee the scene instead of reporting to the police or Magistrate.
The three bills aimed at overhauling India’s criminal justice system had received the assent of the President of India in December 2023. This development had been duly notified on the website of the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Initially introduced in Lok Sabha on August 11, 2023, as Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, they were subsequently referred to a parliamentary committee chaired by Brij Lal for further scrutiny. Following passage by the Lok Sabha on December 20, the bills were ratified by the Rajya Sabha on December 21, 2023.
