Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS)

BACKGROUND

The Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 formed the bedrock of India's criminal justice system. These statutes comprehensively defined offenses, prescribed punishments, outlined legal procedures, and regulated evidence admissibility. However, the passage of time rendered them partly obsolete, necessitating the enactment of three new criminal law acts to address emerging challenges like cybercrime and gender neutrality.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 which seek to repeal and replace the Indian Penal Code, 1806, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively were passed by the Lok Sabha on 20^th December, Rajya Sabha on 21^st December and the same attained the President's assent on 25^th of December. These act aim to