The parliamentary committee that has been scrutinising three bills that will eventually replace the existing criminal laws will meet on Monday (6th November). The meeting is scheduled to adopt draft reports on these three bills. This comes almost a week after some opposition members sought an extension for the panel to review the measures closely.
Earlier on 27th October, the opposition members pressed the committee for more time to study it. Consequently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs was unable to adopt the three draft reports.
In fact, the opposition members had urged panel chairperson Brij Lal to seek an extension of three months in its tenure, ranting that it should “stop bulldozing these bills for short-term electoral gain”.
However, BJP sources asserted that the committee has engaged in an extensive consultation process adding that it will meet its deadline of three months.
According to a notice sent to members, the committee will now meet on 6th November to adopt the three drafts. The panel may adopt the draft reports despite protests by some of its members from the opposition parties, sources added.
During the Monsoon Session, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in Lok Sabha, introduced three bills to completely revamp the colonial-era criminal laws. The three bills will replace the existing Indian Penal Code (IPC), The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 with Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, respectively.
At that time, the Home Minister said that the bills had been prepared after comprehensive discussions and studies, and the task was started in 2019. Suggestions were taken from all High Courts, Law universities, chief ministers, governors, MPs, MLAs, etc. Several reports from several parliamentary committees were compiled while drafting the bills in a process that took 4 years.
Click here to read the major provisions of the 3 bills introduced in parliament.
However, shortly after the introduction of the bill, the House on 11th August sent the bills to the Parliament Standing Committee on Home Affairs for scrutiny asking it to submit its report within three months.
According to sources, the committee is likely to recommend a raft of amendments in the three bills however it will stick to their Hindi names. Soon after learning about the three bills, some opposition MPs, including those from the DMK opposed its name in Hindi. They demanded that English names should be used for the proposed laws.
