Govt seeks to withdraw 3 bills on criminal laws, plans to make new ones

The government has decided to withdraw the three bills that aim to replace existing criminal laws and introduce them afresh following various recommendations made by a parliamentary panel.

The three redrafted bills are expected to introduced in Parliament on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11 along with Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam bills.

The three bills seek to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

Home Minister Amit Shah, in three identical signed statements submitted to Parliament, said the decision was taken after the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs made recommendations suggesting changes in the three bills following a series of discussions with domain experts and various stakeholders.

He said in the statement for withdrawal that to make comprehensive amendments to the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 11 to repeal and replace the IPC.

This bill was referred to the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on August 18 for consideration.

Shah said the committee held several rounds of discussions with the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, domain experts and various stakeholders and submitted its reports along with its recommendations on November 10.

"Based on the recommendations of the committee, amendments are proposed in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023. It is proposed to introduce a new bill in place of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023," he conveyed to the Parliament.

Two similar statements for withdrawal were also made regarding the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.

Soon after the bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on August 11, Shah urged the Chair to send the bills to the standing committee for a threadbare discussion.

Subsequently, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar referred the three proposed laws to the committee, which comes under the Rajya Sabha secretariat and asked it to submit its report within three months.