Parliament panel adopts reports on bills to replace existing criminal laws
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary committee on home affairs on Monday adopted three reports on bills to replace the existing criminal laws with some opposition members submitting dissent notes, sources said.
The Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs, chaired by BJP member Brij Lal, met on Monday, nearly 10 days after members had sought additional time to study the draft reports circulated late last month.
Parliamentary sources said some opposition members had already submitted their dissent notes to the reports on the three bills to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, respectively.
Some more opposition members were expected to submit dissent notes in the next two days as per rules, sources said.
On October 27, the standing committee on Home could not adopt the three draft reports as some opposition members pressed for more time to study them.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 were introduced in the Lower House of Parliament on August 11.
These bills seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.
While introducing the bills on August 11, Home Minister Amit Shah had claimed that the soul of these three new laws would be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to the citizens. "British-era laws were made to strengthen and protect their rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice," he had said.
"We (government) are going to bring changes in both these fundamental aspects. The soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to Indian citizens. The objective will not be to punish anyone but to give justice and in this process, punishment will be given where it is required to create a sense of prevention of crime," Shah stressed.
The Home Minister said that the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace CrPC, will now have 533 sections. "A total of 160 sections have been changed, nine new sections have been added and nine sections have been repealed," he said.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, which will replace the IPC, will have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, the minister said, adding that 175 sections have been amended, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed.
Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, will now have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167. Shah said 23 sections have been changed, one new section has been added and five repealed.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)