Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal Inaugurates Mumbai Conference on India's New Criminal Laws

Tags: National News

A conference titled ‘India’s Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System’ was inaugurated in Mumbai on June 30th.

An Overview of the News

• The conference introduced three new criminal laws scheduled to come into effect on July 1st.

• Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law & Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal, emphasized during the inaugural session that the new laws prioritize 'justice' over 'punishment', a departure from colonial-era legislation.

• These laws were developed after extensive consultations with lawmakers, legislators, academia, and the general public.

Audience and Objectives:

• Stakeholders: Judges, Prosecutors, Advocates, Law Enforcement and Investigating Agencies, District Administration Officials, Academia, Students of Law, and Citizens.

Participants in Inaugural Session:

• Chief Justice: Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya of Bombay High Court.

• Secretary: Dr. Rajiv Mani from the Department of Legal Affairs, among other dignitaries.

About three new criminal laws

• On 21 June 2024, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPG&P) announced the enactment of three new criminal laws effective from 1 July 2024.

• Enactment of three new criminal laws effective from 1 July 2024

  • Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita (BNS2) Act, 2023

  • Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSS2) Act, 2023

  • Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Adhiniyam Act, 2023

• These new laws replace the British-colonial era laws:

  • The Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860

  • The Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973

  • The Indian Evidence Act (IEA), 1872

• President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to these laws on 24th December 2023.

• On 19th June 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) proposal for the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES).

• The scheme has a budget of over Rs 2200 crore for the period from FY25 (2024-25) to FY29 (2028-29).

Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA):

• Union Minister: Amit Shah (Lok Sabha constituency: Gandhinagar, Gujarat)

• Minister of State (MoS): Nityanand Rai (Lok Sabha constituency: Ujiarpur, Bihar)

• Minister of State (MoS): Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Lok Sabha constituency: Karimnagar, Telangana)