Centre's New Bills To Overhaul Criminal Laws: Here's What Has Changed

Union Home Minister Amit Shah today introduced three bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act, which were all enacted during the British Raj, in a complete overhaul of the country criminal laws.

The three bills -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 -- will be sent to a parliamentary panel for further scrutiny, the Home Minister said.

What has changed?

Mr Shah announced that the sedition law has been repealed. The word "sedition" has been removed from the proposed law and replaced with Section 150, which criminalises acts that endanger the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.

The current law on sedition carries a penalty of up to three years in prison or life imprisonment. The new provision increases the maximum penalty to seven years.

Mr Shah announced in the parliament that the government will introduce the death penalty for mob lynching cases, depending on the severity of the crime. The death sentence has been retained in the new bills.

The new bills prioritise laws that protect women and children, punish murderers, and deter those who would harm the state.

Under the proposed laws, bribing voters during elections is a punishable offense with imprisonment of up to one year.

Community service is a new non-custodial punishment that will be available for petty offenses in India for the first time.

The proposed laws have also made offences gender-neutral in order to ensure that everyone is protected from crime, regardless of their gender. In order to deal effectively with terrorism and organised crime, new offences have been created with severe penalties.