Three new criminal laws will completely change India’s judicial system: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday applauded the three new criminal laws, saying they will be “affordable, accessible, and approachable”, and make the judicial process “simpler, more consistent, and transparent”.

The minister also said that the new laws will replace the fear of ‘What will happen if I file an FIR’ with the confidence that ‘Filing an FIR will lead to immediate justice.’

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Shah further said that the new criminal laws will fundamentally transform the Indian criminal justice system in the coming days.

He was addressing a programme – “A Golden Year of Trust in the Justice System” – held in the national capital to mark the successful completion of one year of the new criminal laws.

The minister said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, a golden era of governance based on social, economic, and political justice is about to begin. “Our criminal justice system will enter a new era, which will definitely instil a strong sense of trust among the people that justice will be delivered promptly,” he, according to a press release, said.

Earlier, he said the biggest problem with our justice system was that no one knew when justice would be delivered.

The home minister said that after the new laws are fully implemented in the next three years, justice in the country will be delivered all the way up to the Supreme Court starting from filing of the FIR.

He explained that these laws impose strict timelines on the three key pillars responsible for delivering justice to citizens–the police, prosecution, and judiciary.

Shah added that the new laws specify deadlines for completing investigations within 90 days, filing charge sheets, framing charges, and delivering judgments.

The new laws also include several technology-based provisions which, once implemented, will leave no opportunity for offenders to escape punishment by availing the benefit of doubt.

After the new criminal justice system is fully implemented, the conviction rate in our country will improve significantly, and criminals will definitely be punished, the minister added.

With the use of technology, India’s judicial system would become the most modern in the world, he claimed.

After studying the judicial systems of nearly 89 countries and legally incorporating the use of technology from them, these provisions have been included in the new laws, he added.

The Modi government has created these laws from an Indian perspective. He stated that the previous laws were made by the British in the Parliament of England to prolong their rule, whereas the new criminal laws have been made under the leadership of PM Modi by a government elected by the people of India, for the benefit of Indian citizens.

Now, with the replacement of IPC with Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 (BNS), CRPC with Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 (BNSS) and Indian Evidence Act with Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 (BSA), it shows that the goal of these laws is not punishment but justice, he added.

Several dignitaries, including the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Home Secretary, and Director of the Intelligence Bureau were present on the occasion.