SRINAGAR: The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Srinagar, organised a one-day media workshop, ‘Vartalap’, on the three new legislations: ‘Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’ (BNS), ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’ (BNSS), and ‘Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam’ (BSA) of 2023, on Wednesday.
‘Vartalap’ aimed to inform the media in Kashmir about the spirit and intent behind the new criminal laws. Speakers explained the rationale for these laws and highlighted important departures from the Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act.
In his welcome address, Qazi Salman Ibrahim, Joint Director, PIB Srinagar, stated that the main aim of these legislations is to ‘decolonise’ the criminal laws of the British era.
Dar Rashid, Senior Prosecuting Officer, JK Prosecution Services, remarked that the three new laws, ‘Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita’, ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’, and ‘Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam’, will give a new direction to the criminal justice system in India. He described these laws as a shift from an archaic colonial system, designed and drafted by Indians for Indians, with the objective of ensuring justice.
Advocate Sheikh Umar Farooq, Senior Advocate, JK High Court, said that the new laws align with Indian ethos and have made a significant shift towards being more victim-centric. He noted that the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, defines and protects victim rights in multiple ways, making victims active participants in criminal proceedings rather than mere passive observers.
Advocate Naveed Gul, Senior Advocate, JK High Court, described the new criminal laws as an effort to make the criminal justice system more accessible, accountable, credible, and justice-driven. He noted that with over 600 amendments, additions, and deletions, the criminal laws have been modernised to address contemporary challenges effectively.
The workshop concluded with a question-and-answer session where participants’ queries were addressed by the panellists.
The proceedings were conducted by Tariq Ahmed Rather, Deputy Director, PIB Srinagar.
New Criminal Laws, 2023
India’s criminal justice system has begun a new chapter with the enactment of the New Criminal Laws, 2023, on 25 December 2023. The purpose of these new Acts is to deliver justice, not punishment.
The new criminal laws will come into force on 1 July 2024. With their implementation, the entire process from FIR to court judgement will be online, making India a country with the highest usage of modern technology in its criminal justice system. These laws aim to eliminate the trend of “tareekh-pe-tareekh” (giving date after date) and establish a judicial system that delivers justice within three years.
