From July 1, India will replace its colonial-era criminal laws with a set of three new penal laws. The Indian Penal Code of 1860 will be substituted by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita or the BNS, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973 will give way to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita or the BNSS, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam or the BSB.
These laws were first introduced by the Centre on August 11 last year following which they were referred to a 31-member Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by BJP MP Brij Lal for review. The revised Bills were later introduced in the Lok Sabha by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on December 12th and received Presidential assent on December 25th.
However, the laws have stirred controversy with legal experts and jurists questioning the lack of transparency in the functioning of the 5-member expert committee chaired by Prof. (Dr.) Ranbir Singh, former Vice Chancellor of National Law University, Delhi, tasked with the responsibility of drafting these laws. Many have also flagged how the new laws expand police powers at the expense of civil liberties.
In this video, we will delve into the key provisions of the three new laws and the concerns surrounding them.
Read more: Revised criminal law bills: Key changes explained
