The enactment of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (“BNSS”) in 2023 signals a paradigm shift in India’s criminal procedural framework, aimed to enhance the efficiency, integrity, and responsiveness of the criminal justice system. Effective from 1 July 2024, the BNSS replaces the previously governing Code of Criminal Procedure (“CrPC”) of 1973. This new legislation introduces a range of reforms, including the integration of technology in trial processes, the provision for trial in absentia, zero FIR, and e-FIR, all aimed at streamlining the criminal justice procedures.
