Home Minister Amit Shah tables three new criminal law bills in Lok Sabha

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday tabled three proposed criminal law bills--the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita--with amended versions, following various recommendations made by a parliamentary panel.

On December 11, Union Home Minister Amit Shah notified Lok Sabha members that the three criminal law bills would be withdrawn and replaced with three new bills that would incorporate the improvements proposed by a parliamentary committee.

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 were introduced in the Lower House of Parliament on August 11.


These bills seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

While introducing the bills, Home Minister Amit Shah said the soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to the citizens.

"British-era laws were made to strengthen and protect their rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice," Shah said.

"We (the government) are going to bring about changes in both of these fundamental aspects. The soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to Indian citizens. The objective will not be to punish anyone but to give justice and in this process, punishment will be given where it is required to create a sense of prevention of crime," the Home Minister said.

Shah said that the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace the CrPC, is proposed have 533 sections. "A total of 160 sections have been changed, nine new sections have been added and nine sections have been repealed," he said.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, which will replace the IPC, is proposed to have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, the minister said, adding that 175 sections have been amended, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed.

The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, is proposed to have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167. Shah said 23 sections have been changed, one new section has been added and five repealed.