The Union Home Minister Amit Shah, today introduced in the Lok Sabha the revised three criminal reform bills 'The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023', 'The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023' and 'The Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023', which seek the repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence.

Amit Shah said while reintroducing the Bills, "The changes are mostly grammatical errors, full stop, coma have been changed some 3 or 4 provisions are changed, the basic provisions are the same. Even then you will get 48 hours for studying it. The discussion is not tomorrow but the day after tomorrow and the voting will be on the next day. All members will get sufficient time to study this. These are important laws, we do not want to pass it in a hurry".

It is pertinent to note that the introduction today was made after the bills were withdrawn on December 11, 2023.

The discussion and deliberations on the new bills will now be held on December 14, 2023 in the House. The Minister also clarified that the government is open to bringing more changes after discussions.

The bills were originally introduced in the Lok Sabha, which is to replace three existing laws in the country. The proposed bills bring a total of 313 changes in the entire system governing criminal laws, comprising the IPC, CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act. While setting out the agenda, Shah said that from 1860 until 2023, the criminal justice system was running on the laws that the British Parliament made, however, the three proposed bills is the portrayal of the "true Indian spirit".

The new bills are: -

Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 with 170 Sections to replace Indian Evidence Act, 1872 with 167 Sections;

-Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 with 533 Sections to replace Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 with 484 Sections;

-Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 with 356 Sections to replace Indian Penal Code, 1860 with 511 Sections. (Read old Bills here)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the three new bills and remarked that these new laws will be to protect all the rights given to Indian citizens by the Constitution, and, their purpose will not be to punish, but give justice. He said that the old laws, drafted and enacted under British rule were opposed to justice and created to punish, not protect. The earlier laws, according to the Home Minister were a sign of slavery.

Click here to read/download Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023

Click here to read/download Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Click here to read/download Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

Amit Shah

Agatha Shukla