Ending colonial legacy: New criminal laws take effect today

Starting Monday, three new criminal laws will come into effect across India, bringing significant changes to the country's criminal justice system and ending colonial-era legislation.

- NARESH BISWANI

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

These new laws aim to modernise the justice system with provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, electronic summonses, and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes.

According to official sources, the new laws address contemporary social realities and crimes while aligning with the ideals enshrined in the Constitution.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who introduced the laws, stated that the new legislation prioritises justice over penal action, in contrast to the colonial laws.

"These laws are made by Indians, for Indians, and by an Indian Parliament, marking the end of colonial criminal justice laws," Shah said.

He emphasised that the changes are not merely cosmetic but represent a comprehensive overhaul. The "soul, body, and spirit" of the new laws are distinctly Indian, he added.

Justice encompasses both the victim and the accused, Shah explained, and the new laws aim to ensure political, economic, and social justice with an Indian ethos.

Under the new laws, judgments in criminal cases must be delivered within 45 days of trial completion, and charges must be framed within 60 days of the first hearing.

Statements of rape victims will be recorded by a female police officer in the presence of a guardian or relative, and medical reports must be completed within seven days.