Petition filed in SC against new criminal laws passed by Parliament
Supreme Court, claiming they suffered from many «defects and discrepancies». The Lok Sabha had on December 21 passed three key legislations — the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bills. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the bills on December 25.
These new laws-the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act-will replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act.
While seeking a stay on the operation of the three laws, the PIL filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari said they were enacted without any parliamentary debate as most of the opposition members were under suspension.
The plea has sought directions from the court to immediately constitute an expert committee to assess the viability of the three new criminal laws.
«The new criminal laws are far more draconian and establish police state in reality and violate every provision of fundamental rights of the people of India. If the British laws were considered colonial and draconian, then the Indian laws stand now far more draconian as in British period you could keep a person in police custody for a maximum of 15 days. Extending 15 days to 90 days and more, is a shocking provision enabling police torture,» the plea said.
