Lok Sabha passes Three Criminal Reform Bills
Image Source: Mint
Three new criminal reform bills were passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. They seek to repeal and replace the British-era criminal legislations that have been in operation in the country for more than a century. The amended bills were cleared via voice vote in the absence of the majority of opposition leaders.
The strength of opposition benches has come down following the unprecedented suspension of their MPs from Parliament. The criminal bills were first introduced in August this year during the monsoon session of Parliament before being sent to the Parliament Standing Committee for deeper scrutiny. Subsequently, after incorporating recommendations and bringing about necessary changes, the amended bills were reintroduced by the government in the ongoing winter session.
The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS) will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSSS) will replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898; and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSS) will replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The reform law will bring about significant changes in criminal jurisprudence and lead to the establishment of a uniform justice system throughout the country. It seeks to make ‘terrorism’ a part of general crime law for the first time, drops the crime of Sedition, and proposes the death penalty for mob lynching. It also has provisions mandating timely completion of probe and trial, resulting in speedy justice delivery and high conviction rates.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while speaking in Lok Sabha, said, “This is a pure Indian law after removing all the British imprints and has been designed for the next 100 years.” He also slammed political parties, currently a part of the opposition but who wielded power in the past, for not doing anything substantial to repeal or replace the laws that have existed since colonial times. Some provisions of the bills have been opposed by opposition members, as they fear that these may facilitate the creation of a ‘police state.’ Additionally, speculation is rife that the INDIA bloc may file an appeal against the bills in the higher judiciary in the coming days.
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