Parliamentary Committee Set To Finalize Draft Reports On Overhauling Criminal Laws

On October 27, the standing committee on Home was unable to adopt the three draft reports due to opposition members seeking additional time for evaluation. Some members of the opposition urged the committee's chairperson, Brij Lal, to request a three-month extension to its tenure, citing concerns about rushing through the bills for short-term political gain. They emphasized the need for robust legislation that serves marginalized communities and expressed their reservations about adopting a final report hastily. However, sources from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) maintained that the committee has engaged in extensive consultations and is committed to meeting the original three-month deadline.

The committee is now scheduled to reconvene on November 6, with a notice sent to its members for the purpose of finalizing the three draft reports. Despite objections from some opposition members, it appears that the panel may proceed with adopting the draft reports.

These bills, introduced by Home Minister Amit Shah during the Monsoon session, aim to replace the 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. The House had referred these bills to the committee for scrutiny and requested that it submit its report within three months. While the committee is expected to recommend various amendments to the proposed laws, the use of Hindi names for these bills remains a point of contention, with opposition MPs, including those from the DMK, advocating for English names.