From IPC to BNS: Law faculty decodes India's new criminal codes

DM Harish School of Law (DMHSL), HSNC University recently concluded a 5-day Faculty Professional Development Programme (FPDP) on “Deconstructing and Deciphering the New Criminal Laws”, held from January 19-23, 2026 at its Worli campus.

The programme unpacked the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 as laws reshaping policing, trials, evidence and rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Provost, HSNC University, Anil Harish spoke on the responsibility that accompanies legal reform.

“A change of this magnitude cannot remain confined to statute books. The real test of the new criminal laws lies in how they are understood, interpreted and transmitted to the next generation of lawyers. Faculty members are the first bridge between legislative intent and lived legal reality and such programmes are essential to ensure that bridge is strong, current and future-ready.”

Reflecting on the academic significance of the programme, Vice Chancellor, HSNC University, Col Dr Hemlata K Bagla noted the changing role of Universities in times of legal transition.

“Universities must respond to legal reform not reactively, but intellectually. When laws change, pedagogy must change with them. This FPDP represents our commitment to ensuring that legal education remains rigorous, contemporary and socially responsive, especially at a moment when the criminal justice system itself is being reimagined.”

Spread across five themes, the FPDP moved from structural reforms to challenges such as cybercrime, digital evidence, forensic technology and implementation bottlenecks.

Sessions blended doctrinal clarity with courtroom practice, asking questions around police powers, fair trial guarantees, juvenile justice, crimes against women and the future of criminal adjudication in a tech-driven era.

Participants examined real case studies, investigative gaps, evidentiary risks and procedural grey zones emerging under the new codes.

The FPDP featured a mix of voices, advocates practising before the Bombay High Court and Supreme Court of India, special public prosecutors, senior academics, forensic experts and cyber law practitioners.

Sessions were led by Advocates Puneet Chaturvedi, Atif Shaikh, Wahab Khan, Nusrat Shah, Bhomesh Bellam, Radhika Arora, Maharukh Adenwalla, Chandni Chawla, Uttam Dubey, Prasanna Bhangale and Kushal Mor, alongside senior academics such as Sheetal Setia, Chirag Balyan, and Kishu Daswani.

Discussions ranged from plea bargaining and community service to white-collar crimes, cyber frauds and the changing role of executive magistracy. Experts including forensic specialist Riva Pocha, cyber law practitioners Advocates Ruzbeh Raja and Puneet Bhasin, and technology professional Head of IT & EPR, HSNC University Roshan Khilnani, added a strong practice-oriented and interdisciplinary dimension to the discussions.

A recurring theme throughout the FPDP was the tension between speed and fairness. With the new laws emphasising expeditious trials, participants examined how courts can balance procedural efficiency with due process, constitutional safeguards, and the rights of vulnerable stakeholders.

These reflected concerns that increasingly surface in classrooms shaped by questioning, and socially-aware students.

Experts walked participants through the lifecycle of a cybercrime complaint, from reporting and investigation to prosecution. Discussions on white-collar crimes and cyber security best practices highlighted the growing sophistication of offences under the new legal regime.

The final day focussed on implementation challenges, examining institutional readiness, the evolving role of executive magistracy and the administrative complexities involved in operationalising the new criminal codes.

Speakers stressed that legislative reform is only the first step and that sustained capacity-building will determine its success.

With 44 participants from over 23 law institutions across India, the programme became a collaborative learning space, reflecting how legal education itself is evolving.

The emphasis was on rethinking how criminal law is taught, debated and applied in classrooms that increasingly demand relevance, speed and real-world context.

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