Soul, body and idea of new criminal laws are purely Bharatiya, says Amit Shah

Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah said in Rajya Sabha on December 21 that the soul, body, and idea of the new criminal laws are purely ‘Bharatiya’.

The three new criminal bills, namely, the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, which replaced the IPC, the CrPC, and the Evidence Act, were passed by the Rajya Sabha today. The Upper House of Parliament was later adjourned sine die, a day ahead of the scheduled conclusion of the Winter session.

Opening his discussion on the new criminal laws, Shah said: “We had been deliberating and discussing on this since August 2019. I feel joyous to be presenting this today. Not just the names of laws have been changed, but major changes have been made in their objectives. Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Evidence Act were formulated to safeguard the British rule.”

He said, “We had said that the process of justice will be sped up, the laws will be simplified and that the laws will be Bharatiya...” The implementation of these will ensure an end to the 'tareekh pe tareekh' era and justice will be given in three years, he added.

Amit Shah also explained that the motive of the three bills is not to punish but to give justice.

Listing the benefits of the new criminal laws, the union minister said in Parliament, “Trial in absentia will help in extradition of criminals who committed crimes in India and are sitting abroad…. It will also instil fear in the minds of those who commit crimes in India and flee.”

Further, in the new criminal bills, the Government has “clearly defined economic offences”, he added.

Amit Shah then went on to highlight that 82 percent of the work of integration of various databases were completed before the passage of the new criminal law bills. He said: “...Various exercises are underway for inter-pillar integration...82 percent of work of integration of various databases has been completed before passage of new criminal law bills. 18 percent will be completed within a year...”