Govt organises conference titled India’s Progressive Path in Administration of Criminal Justice System in Kolkata

Government has organised a conference titled India’s Progressive Path in the Administration of Criminal Justice System in Kolkata today. Union Law and Justice Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal inaugurating the conference said that the three new criminal laws which are entirely freed from the colonial hangover, have been framed to deliver speedy justice to the people. He said, laws need to be changed according to time and the situation of the country. There have long been demands from various quarters of the country to amend the repressive criminal laws of the British era. In recognition of it, three new laws namely The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023”, “The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023”, and “The Bharatiya Sakshya Act 2023” will be effective from first of the next month and give people the right to timely, speedy and error-free justice, instead of colonial repressive criminal laws.

Meanwhile, Shri Meghwal dismissed the allegations from some quarters that the union government has hastily enacted three new criminal laws without consulting anyone and said that advice was sought from all the states, union territories, law-enforcement agencies of the country and all concerned in this regard. 18 States, 6 Union Territories, the Chief Justice of India, the Chief Justices of 16 High Courts of the country, 5 law colleges, 22 universities, 142 MPs, 270 members of the Legislative Assembly’s, besides the general public, discussed the new law for four years.

In the opening ceremony of the conference organized by the ministry of Law and Justice, Justice T. S. Sivagnanam, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court said, during the 150 years of rule, the colonial rulers created criminal laws for their own benefit by destroying the traditional laws, rights and demands of the local people. After nearly eight decades of independence, when the country has progressed far in industrial education, technology in all areas, the law and judiciary cannot lag behind the tortoise’s pace.

Union Law and Justice Secretary Rajeev Mani, Central Law Commission Member Secretary Rita Vasishtha discussed various important aspects of the new three laws.

In December last year, the President gave assent to these three laws and it will come to effect from 1st of next month. The Ministry said, over the last two months, the Department of Legal Affairs, has organised two major conferences at New Delhi and Guwahati to generate awareness about these new laws, particularly amongst the stakeholders, legal fraternity, law enforcement agencies, academia and students of law, besides citizens.