Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke about the three new criminal laws and their relevance in today's time during the closing session of the International Lawyers' Conference in New Delhi on Sunday. He did, however, invite attorneys to examine the three new criminal laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS-2023), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS-2023) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA-2023)), and provide ideas, stating that the "Government believes that no law is complete if it is passed without stakeholder consultation."
Shah further noted that the three new criminal laws were enacted in order to make the laws more relevant in the future. He stated: "The three new criminal laws will significantly reduce the delay and pendency in the criminal justice system. They will also eliminate all colonial influence. The previous criminal laws were designed to protect the colonial rulers, whereas the new laws are designed to defend the rights of Indian citizens."
The current criminal laws make it difficult for the impoverished to obtain justice, and the conviction rate is similarly low, and as a result, jails are overcrowded with undertrials, he stated, and added: "The previous criminal laws were designed to punish rather than to provide justice. The new laws are intended to promote justice rather than punishment."
Speaking at the conference, Shah said: "This conference is held at a very important and appropriate time... Because this is the year when our Constitution will complete 75 years. This is the year in which the Parliament is going to transform the three main laws of the Criminal Justice System... The PM spoke about women-led development in the G20 and placed it in front of the world. To fulfil this, India has started 33% participation of women in the law-making process in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha."
Earlier on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the International Lawyers' Conference 2023 at New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan. Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal also attended the inaugural ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, CJI Chandrachud stated that aspiring to a future where nations, institutions, and, most importantly, individuals are open to communicating with one another is not utopian.