New Delhi, 11 August: Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three bills related to changes in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act in the Lok Sabha on Friday.
The Home Minister introduced the Indian Code of Justice Bill 2023, the Indian Civil Defence Code Bill 2023, and the Indian Evidence Bill 2023 in the Lok Sabha. The House also referred these bills to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs for further review.
While presenting the bill, the Home Minister said that the IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act were brought into the form of laws in 1860, 1898, and 1872 during the British period. Radical changes will be brought about by these. These bills were brought in with the aim of strengthening British rule. The purpose of our laws is to give justice through them. Their soul is to protect the constitutional rights of the citizens.
The Home Minister said that under the new provision, the cases would be disposed of within 3 years. Police and lawyers will become accountable bodies. Punishment for criminals will be ensured. A provision has been made that the police should not misuse their powers. Laws such as sedition have been removed and replaced with more explicit laws dealing with separatism and terrorism. In these cases, mob lynching and sexual exploitation by changing identities have been made crimes. Strong laws against organised crime have been brought in.
The Home Minister informed me that there will be 533 sections in the Civil Defence Code; 160 have been changed, 9 sections have been added, and 9 have been repealed. The Code of Justice will have 511 sections; 175 have been changed, 8 have been added, and 22 have been repealed. Sections related to the Code of Evidence will be 170. 23 have been changed, one has been added, and five have been cancelled.
The Home Minister said that colonial terminology was present in 475 places in the existing laws. This is being changed now.
