SC primary medium of ease of justice, says PM

The ease of justice is the right of Indian citizens and the Supreme Court is the primary medium for achieving this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, imploring the top court to engage in capacity-building for all stakeholders so that the transition from old laws to the new regime can be seamless.

- Utkarsh Anand

Inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Supreme Court, the PM highlighted the government's initiatives in abolishing the colonial-era criminal laws and introducing new legislation Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sam the hita, Bhartiya Nyaya Samhita, and Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.

These laws, which were cleared by Parliament last month but are yet to be notified, will replace the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code and the Indian Evidence Act.

With the introduction of the new laws, the PM said India's legal, policing, and investigative systems have entered a new era, signifying the government's constant endeavour to modernise laws to align them with the present situation and best practices.

"Today's economic policies will form the basis of tomorrow's vibrant India... Laws that are being laid down today will strengthen the bright future of India... The transition from old laws to new ones should be seamless, which is imperative," said Modi, citing the commencement of training and capacity-building initiatives for government officials to facilitate this transition.

"I request the Supreme Court that it should come forward and engage in capacity-building for all stakeholders," he said, and congratulated Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and all top court judges over the commencement of the diamond jubilee year of the Supreme Court's inception on January 28, 1950.