Three new criminal laws have come into effect from July 1.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) were passed in Parliament in December 2023.
They will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.
Three new criminal laws received Parliament’s approval on December 21, 2023.
President Droupadi Murmu gave assent on December 25, 2023.
They will focus on justice rather than punishment. They are aimed at providing speedy justice.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will have 358 sections (instead of 511 sections in the IPC).
A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the bill. The imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 of them.
For 23 crimes, a mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced.
The penalty of community service has been brought in for six crimes.
To address sexual crimes, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has added a new chapter titled “Crimes against Women and Children.”
There is the provision of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment in all cases of gang rape and the new crime category of gang rape of a woman under 18 years of age.
For the first time, Terrorism has been defined in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. It has been made a punishable offence.
There will be 531 sections in Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (instead of 484 sections in the CrPC).
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will have 170 provisions.
