The Central Government has decided to withdraw the three criminal law reform bills, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita introduced by it in the Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Indian Indian Evidence Act of 1872, and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973 respectively. In an official statement that was released, it was mentioned that the bills would be reintroduced after making changes recommended by the Parliamentary Standing Committee. The new criminal law bills were introduced in the Parliament’s Monsoon session in August 2023.

What The Home Minister Said

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed that the process of drafting the three laws had involved consultations with 18 states, 7 Union Territories, several judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, 22 law universities, 142 MPs, 270 MLAs, and numerous members of the public. This effort spanned four years and encompassed a total of 158 meetings.

Bill Details

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita consists of 356 sections, with 175 sourced from the IPC having undergone alterations, 22 being repealed, and 8 new sections introduced. The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita consists of 533 sections, out of which 150 sourced from the CrPC have been revised, 22 repealed, and 9 newly added.
The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill consists of 170 sections of which 23 sections sourced from the Evidence Act have been amended, 1 section is entirely new, and 5 sections have been removed.