Newly enacted criminal laws, that replace Penal Code, to come into effect from 1 July: Govt

The three newly enacted criminal laws, ie Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam-will come into effect from July 1, 2024, the Union Government said in a notification on Saturday.

The three criminal laws will be implemented in place of the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, which were passed by the Parliament on December 21, 2023.

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After Parliament's nod to the three laws, President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25. According to three identical notifications issued by the Union Home Ministry, provisions of the new laws will come into force from July 1.

The three legislations intend to completely overhaul the criminal justice system in the country by giving definitions of various offences and their punishments.

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Soon after the approval of these three laws, the Bar Council of India (BCI) appreciated removing Colonial and outdated criminal laws, such as the sedition section, which fosters a more inclusive and democratic legal environment by respecting freedom of expression.

The BCI also recognised the introduction of provisions addressing contemporary challenges, including the categorisation of mob lynching as a separate offence, which also includes hate crimes based on race, caste, community, sex, language, or place of birth. 

Underlining the existence of colonial-era laws that are irrelevant in the present scenario, Dr Adish Aggarwala, President, Supreme Court Bar Association said, many a colonial-era law had been hanging around like an albatross around the neck of the Indian legal fraternity even 75 years after Independence.

He also said that the entire lawyer fraternity across the country gratefully acknowledges and recognises the beneficial aspects of the recast penal laws and pledges its complete support and cooperation to make this historic effort a great success.