The three new laws received Parliament's nod on December 21, 2023. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25, 2023, and was published in the official gazette on the same day.
The three new criminal laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita (BSS), 2023 replaced the colonial era Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), passed in Parliament last December, have replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 resp
As the new criminal laws came into effect on Monday, Congress MP Manickam Tagore called for a debate again on the acts that were passed in December last year.
Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani criticized the Opposition's demand for re-examination of the new criminal laws which came into effect on Monday, July 1.
As the new criminal laws came into force on Monday, Chhaya Sharma, Delhi Police Special CP (Training) said that over 45,000 officers in the force have been trained for the change.
The case has been registered against a street vendor under Section 285 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstruction under foot over bridge of New Delhi Railway Station and making sales.
Provisions related to the gang rape of a minor woman will become consistent with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), and a provision has been made for life imprisonment or death penalty in the case of girls below 18 years of age.
As the three new criminal laws come into effect today, several legal experts say there are big challenges ahead for law-enforcing agencies, judicial officers, and legal professionals.
The implementation of three new criminal laws will be a significant step towards modernising the criminal justice delivery system, said Dr. Adish C Aggarwala, outgoing President of Supreme Court Bar Association and Chairman of All India Bar Association.