New Criminal Laws Replacing Colonial-Era IPC, CrPC And Evidence Act To Come Into Effect From 1 July

The government on Saturday (24 February) said that the three new criminal laws, which are set to replace India's colonial-era legislations, will come into effect from 1 July.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, of 1872.

The three laws were cleared by the Parliament and President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to legislations last December.

The Centre in separate gazette notifications on Saturday announced 1 July as the date on which the three laws will come into effect.

However, it has put on hold implementation of Sub Section (2) of Section 106 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the specific provision relates to ‘causing death of a person by rash and negligent driving of a vehicle’.

The sub section (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita states: "Whoever causes death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a Magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine".