Rajya Sabha chairman refers 3 bills to replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act to standing committee, seeks report within 3 months

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday referred the three proposed laws that will replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs for examination and asked it to submit its report within three months.

The bills — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill — were introduced in the Lok Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah on August 11. The bills, once passed, will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.

While introducing the bills, Shah said these would transform India's criminal justice system and added the changes were done to provide speedy justice and create a legal system that caters to contemporary needs and aspirations of the people. In a bulletin, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat stated, "Members are informed that on 18th August, 2023, the Chairman, Rajya Sabha in consultation with the Speaker, Lok Sabha has referred the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023, as introduced in the Lok Sabha and pending therein, to the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, for examination and report within three months."

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs is of the Rajya Sabha and has members from both Houses of Parliament. BJP member Brij Lal is the chairman of the Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita provides for several changes in the existing provisions including that of defamation, attempt to commit suicide and expanded the scope of offence against women pertaining to sexual intercourse by employing "deceitful means". It also lists new 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.

For the first time, the word terrorism has been defined under the BNS which was not there under the IPC.