[BREAKING] Central government to introduce bills to replace Indian Penal Code, CrPC, Indian Evidence Act

In a pathbreaking development, the Central government is all set to overhaul the criminal laws in the country by replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872. .The IPC, which was framed by the British in the year 1860, has been the core of the criminal justice system of the country for more than 160 years.It will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The CrPC of 1973 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.The Indian Evidence Act of 1872 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023..Addressing the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the process of drafting the three laws involved consultations with 18 states, 7 Union Territories, judges from the Supreme Court and High Courts, along with 22 law universities, 142 MPs, 270 MLAs, and numerous members of the public. This effort spanned four years and encompassed a total of 158 meetings.He further said that the first chapter of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita would focus on offences against women and children. .Here are the key takeaways from Shah's address to Lok Sabha:.The new bills are set to facilitate trials through the use of video conference, enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of the judicial process.Videography during searches and seizures has been mandated. No chargesheet will be filed without a recorded account of the search and seizure process.In cases where the crime necessitates a punishment exceeding seven years, a forensic team will be mandated to visit the crime scene.Community service as a form of punishment has been introduced.Cases involving the rape of minors below 12 years of age will now attract the imposition of the death penaltyFor instances of mob lynching (murder by a group of five people or more on grounds of race, caste, community etc.) the penalty will be determined by the gravity of the offence, with potential sentences ranging from 7 years of imprisonment to life imprisonment or even the death penalty..The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita comprises 356 sections, with 175 sourced from the IPC having undergone alterations, 22 being repealed, and 8 new sections introduced.The Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita consists of 533 sections, out of which 150 sourced from the CrPC have been revised, 22 repealed, and 9 newly added.The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill has 170 sections. Among these, 23 sections sourced from the Evidence Act have been amended, 1 section is entirely new, and 5 sections have been removed..More details to follow..[Read Draft Bills]