Home Minister Amit Shah Introduces Bills To Replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act

The Central Government introduced three Bills in the Lok Sabha today to revoke and replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced the bills, which include:

1. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: This bill aims to consolidate and modify the provisions related to offenses and related matters.
2. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023: This bill seeks to consolidate and revise the law pertaining to Criminal Procedure.
3. The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023: This bill is intended to consolidate and establish general rules and principles of evidence for a fair trial.

Following their introduction, they were referred to the Standing Committee on Home Affairs.

It is worth noting that in March 2020, the Central Government had set up a Criminal Law Reforms Committee to provide recommendations for amending the IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872. The committee, headed by Professor Dr. Ranbir Singh, had members like Professor Dr. GS Bajpai, Professor Dr. Balraj Chauhan, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, and GP Thareja. The committee submitted its report to the Government in February 2022 after gathering public suggestions. The Law Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha in April 2022 that a comprehensive review of criminal laws was underway. Last year, the Home Minister had announced plans to introduce new drafts for the IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act.