‘New criminal laws biggest reform in independent India; justice process made simpler, transparent’

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday termed the enactment of three new criminal laws as the biggest reform in independent India and said they will make the judicial process process not only affordable and accessible but also simpler, time-bound and transparent.

Shah stressed that the Narendra Modi government framed the new laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) -- to ensure that all rights of citizens are protected and no criminal goes unpunished.

Addressing an event marking one year of the rolling out of the three criminal laws, the BNS, BNSS and the BSA, Shah said since all processes are online, nothing will be overlooked and justice will be delivered on time.

“These laws are going to transform the criminal justice system in the country significantly. I assure all the citizens of India that it will take a maximum of three years for the full implementation of the new laws. I can also confidently say that anyone can get justice up to the Supreme Court within three years of filing an FIR,” he said.

The BNS, BNSS and the BSA replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively. The new laws came into effect on July 1, 2024.

The home minister said the three laws are the biggest reform of independent India and asserted that the use of technology will ensure that no criminal can escape punishment after committing a crime.

He said justice will definitely be delivered within a stipulated time.

“The Narendra Modi government, your chosen government, has made the laws for you and it will protect all your rights,” he said.

Shah, who piloted the laws, said the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action.

He said the biggest challenge before the country’s judicial system was - ‘when will justice be delivered’, referring to the long pendency of cases.

“It was an era of ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ (repeated adjournments). But after the complete implementation of three new laws, if you file an FIR in any corner of the country, you will get justice up to the Supreme Court within three years,” he said.

The home minister expressed confidence that after the full implementation of the new criminal laws, the conviction rate in the country, which is currently low in comparison to developed nations, will increase.