President Droupadi Murmu signed into law on Monday 25th December 2023 the three criminal bills that will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Evidence Act.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita has superseded the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam has taken the place of the Indian Evidence Act.
The three legislations intend to thoroughly revamp the nation’s criminal justice system by providing precise definitions of various offenses and their corresponding punishments. They have offered a distinct interpretation of terrorism, eliminated sedition as a criminal act, and introduced a novel section named “offenses against the state.”
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will comprise 358 sections, a deviation from the IPC’s 511 sections. The law has incorporated 20 new offenses, with increased prison sentences for 33 of them. In 83 offenses, fines have been elevated, and mandatory minimum penalties have been instituted in 23 cases. Six felonies now entail community service as a punishment, and 19 sections of the law have been repealed or omitted. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita lists offences such as acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatist activities or endangering the sovereignty or unity in the new avatar of the sedition law.
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam currently encompasses 170 provisions, a modification from the original 167. The law has undergone amendments in 24 sections, incorporating two new provisions and six sub-provisions. Simultaneously, six provisions have been repealed or omitted.
Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita will consist of 531 sections, deviating from CrPC’s 484. The legislation has undergone comprehensive amendments through 177 provisions, introducing nine new sections and 39 new sub-sections. The proposed law incorporates 44 new provisions and clarifications. Timelines have been introduced in 35 segments, and audio-video support has been incorporated in 35 areas. Additionally, 14 sections of the law have been repealed or removed.
