'Utmost Primacy For Safety Of Women': Himanta Calls New Criminal Laws 'Watershed Moment' Of India's Justice System'

Reactions poured in as the three new criminal laws came into effect across India on Monday. Himanta Biswa Sarma called it a 'watershed moment' in the criminal justice system of the country.

As the three new criminal laws came into effect across India on Monday, reactions poured in, calling the laws "historic." The new laws are set to replace colonial-era legislation and usher in significant reforms in the criminal justice system. Reacting to the three new criminal laws, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called it a "watershed moment" in the criminal justice system of the country. He further said that these laws place utmost primacy for the safety of women, children, and the underprivileged. 

"Today marks a watershed moment in Bharat’s criminal justice system. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam have come into force replacing 164 year old colonial legislations. With this, our republic has entered into a new system pivoted around modern technology and citizen centric services. These laws places utmost primacy to the safety of women, children and the underprivileged," he said in a post on X.

"Over the last many months Team Assam has made extensive preparations towards the effective implementation of the new laws. It is my sincere appeal to all stakeholders including the police, civil servants, citizens, lawyers , civil society and members of the judiciary at large to cooperate with us so we can collectively ensure these laws give effect to its very foundational purpose," he further stated.

On new criminal laws, Congress MP Manish Tewari said, "The criminal laws which have come into force are pernicious in nature and they will be draconian in their implementation. They will lay the foundations of a Police State in this country, they will provide very wide latitude to the Police across the length and breadth of the country because of the very ambiguous nature in which certain provisions have been crafted - provisions with regard to bail are absolutely perverse in their nature. Was there a need to bring the definition of terrorism into general criminal law when there is already a special law on it?".

"The manner in which sedition has been very loosely defined notwithstanding that it was stayed by the Supreme Court of India, the manner in which handcuffs have been brought back surreptitiously in the teeth of two judgements of Supreme Court going all the way back to 1973. So, there are problems galore with these laws. That's why I have been saying this from the day they were passed by the Parliament by suspending 146 MPs, that these laws are perverse, they need to be re-examined by the House and only after their re-examination and detailed examination by a JPC, should they be implemented. There is enough reason to pause the implementation of these laws," he further stated.

Speaking on three new criminal laws, Former LG of Puducherry and former IPS officer Kiran Bedi said, "The biggest benefit I see from this is that it is leading to re-training of police for accountability, transparency, technology, victims' rights, speedy trials in courts, accused's rights."

Former Additional Solicitor General (ASG) and Senior Advocate Pinki Anand said, "The three new laws will be historic for India. The older laws were formed from different perspectives but the present situation demands something else...Today, electronic evidence has been taken into admissibility. With these new laws, we are going towards speedy justice. Including economic offences & financial offences has been an important step. With these laws, victims will also have full rights where he/she will be informed about everything. E-filing of FIR and Zero FIR has been introduced."

Advocate Sakhram Singh Yadav said, "Indian Penal Code has now been named Bharatiya Nyay Sanhiyta - it is now about serving justice. In the new laws, Zero FIR has been introduced and electronic evidence given priority. These laws will benefit the public."

Speaking on three new criminal laws, Advocate Vikas Pahwa said, " There are a lot of positive things in these three new laws including fixing of timeframe for procedures and introduction & use of technology. When there will be timely trials, it will lead to timely acquittal and conviction leading to speedy justice...It will be a welcome change. Overall procedural changes in the law will benefit the system."

Three New Criminal Laws

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will supersede the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. The new laws aim to modernise India's justice system, incorporating provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, and electronic summonses.

"These laws have been crafted to address contemporary social realities and crimes, ensuring mechanisms that reflect the ideals enshrined in our Constitution," official sources told news agency PTI.

Key reforms include mandatory videography of crime scenes for heinous crimes. The new law entails that judgments in criminal cases be delivered within 45 days of trial completion, and charges must be framed within 60 days of the first hearing.