New criminal laws to be effective from July 1
The three new criminal laws passed by Parliament in the winter session—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)—will be effective from July 1,2024, per a gazette notification issued by the Union government on Friday, February 23.
They will repeal and replace, respectively, the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act,
The new laws were assented to by President Droupadi Murmu on December 25.
However, what would not be implemented is Section 106(2) of BNS, which relates to ‘causing death of a person by rash and negligent driving of a vehicle’, and against which there were massive protests by truck drivers a few months back, leading the government to assure that that rule would be implemented only after consultation with the All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).
According to this rule, any driver who causes the death of a person by rash and negligent driving and flees from the spot will be jailed for up to 10 years and/or fined.
For the proper implementation of the three laws, the government will form a team of 3,000 officers who will train police officers, investigators and forensic experts to implement the new laws across the country.
According to a source, the laws would be implemented first in the Union territories, as per the desire of the prime minister.
