Congress Leader P Chidambaram Criticizes New Criminal Laws in India
New Delhi, July 31: Congress leader P Chidambaram has voiced strong criticism against the new criminal laws in India. Speaking at an event in Delhi, he described the enactment of these laws as wasteful, stating that 95% of the criminal procedure has been copied from old laws.
Chidambaram said, “I have compared, in the parliamentary committee, the old law with the new law, section by section. 90 to 95 percent of the IPC has been copied and pasted. 95 percent of the criminal procedure has been copied and pasted.” He questioned the need for changing the numbers and sections, suggesting it would confuse lawyers, judges, and the public.
He also criticized the retention of the death penalty, arguing that the most democratic societies have abolished it. “Imprisonment is the most rigorous punishment. Why retain the death penalty? No civilised country has solitary confinement. It creates tremendous punishment for the convicts. The convicts lose their sanity,” he said.
Chidambaram pointed out that the Supreme Court has to handle 80 bail applications daily because trial courts are not granting bail. He called this a retrograde rule and said it should be struck down.
The Congress leader mentioned that the opposition bloc plans to challenge the new laws in the Supreme Court. “Eventually, INDIA bloc, we have to gather and challenge the provisions of the laws in the SC. All hell will break loose once these laws are implemented. I condemn these laws,” he added.
The new criminal laws, which came into force on July 1, 2024, include Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). These laws aim to expedite justice by mandating FIRs to be recorded within three days, charges to be framed within 60 days, and judgments to be pronounced within 45 days after trial conclusion.
Doubts Revealed
Congress Leader -: A Congress Leader is a person who is a member of the Indian National Congress, a major political party in India.
P Chidambaram -: P Chidambaram is a senior politician in India who has held important positions like Finance Minister and Home Minister.
Criminal Laws -: Criminal laws are rules made by the government to define what actions are crimes and how people who break these rules should be punished.
Death Penalty -: The death penalty is a punishment where a person is sentenced to die for committing a very serious crime.
Trial Courts -: Trial courts are the first level of courts where cases are heard and decided. They are where trials happen.
Bail -: Bail is money or property given to the court to let someone out of jail while they wait for their trial.
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes the final decisions on important legal issues.
Opposition -: The opposition is a group of political parties or politicians who are not in power and often challenge the decisions of the ruling party.
Effective from July 1, 2024 -: This means that the new laws will start being used from July 1, 2024.
Expedite Justice -: To expedite justice means to make the process of getting justice faster and more efficient.