Transition to Three New Criminal Laws: Old Laws Not Completely Obsolete

The three new criminal laws are set to come in effect from the 1st July 2024. These three laws namely, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Old Laws Not Completely Struck Off

As these laws are set to be replaced, starting from July 1st, every criminal case will indeed be governed by the three new laws, replacing the existing ones. However, the old laws won’t become completely obsolete. Let’s explore this further. From July 1st onwards, the new criminal laws will repeal the earlier ones. This means that any new grievances filed after this date will be based on these new laws.

This also means that if your complaint was lodged prior to July 1st, when the earlier laws were in place, the proceedings will follow the guidelines and provisions of those earlier laws. Under the new provisions, ongoing investigations of crimes before July 1, 2024, will adhere to the existing laws. Similarly, crimes committed before July 1 but reported after this date will be governed by the Indian Penal Code (IPC).