Guwahati: Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria spoke on the pivotal role of an efficient criminal justice system in national progress during a conference’s closing ceremony.
“The criminal justice system and its contribution in expeditious disposal of cases hold the key in the progress of the nation,” said the Governor while speaking at the valedictory function of a two-day conference on “India’s progressive path in the administration of criminal justice system” that concluded at IIT-Guwahati on Sunday evening.
The conference was held in the wake of the enactment of three laws, namely the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
The laws have replaced the earlier criminal laws namely, the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, and have been enacted to overhaul the criminal justice system in the country.
“These laws have the potential of expediting the development of India along with laying a strong foundation for the realisation of the vision of Viksit Bharat,” Kataria said.
“The criminal justice system rooted in the British era is now history. Now, justice takes precedence over punishment. The nation has a new Nyaya Sanhita based on the principle of ‘Justice First’. This new set of laws will ensure the protection of human rights and uphold the rule of law. They will also streamline procedures to reduce delays and enhance the delivery of justice”.
Speaking on the new laws, the Governor said, “These laws are embedded with the values of reform, perform and transform. These new acts besides bringing in reform in the legal system will address the contemporary challenges surfaced in view of changing times and societal changes”.
He further said that the new laws would provide a holistic approach to deal with crimes in the digital age.
“These new enactments will also lead to expeditious disposal of cases. This would help in clearing the vast backlogs and faster delivery of justice. Considering the Northeastern region’s diversities, the new set of laws would help in bringing more inclusive legal practices,” he said.
The Governor expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Law and Justice for organising the conference for sharing insights, debating crucial reforms, and shaping the future of legal administration. He also thanked all the participants for their contributions in the conference and requested the stakeholders to work together with the civil society for the success of the laws.
The two-day conference, which concluded at the IIT-G on Sunday evening, aimed to bring out the highlights of the three new criminal laws that have been enacted to overhaul the criminal justice system in the country.
The inaugural session of the conference on Saturday was graced by the Union Minister of State (independent charge) for the Ministry of Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal.
“The three new criminal laws have attempted to correct the historic injustices and biases, and make them reflective of the contemporary needs of an emerging nation and its people,” Meghwal said, while addressing the conference.
Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice Vijay Bishnoi; Judge, Gauhati High Court Justice Manash Ranjan Pathak; Vice Chancellor (I/C) NLUJA Assam, Justice (Retd.) Mir Alfaz Ali; Director, Indian Law Institute, Delhi Prof. (Dr.) V.K. Ahuja and Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice Dr.Rajiv Mani also spoke at the valedictory function.
Besides, the judges of various courts, advocates, academicians, representatives of law enforcement agencies, police officials, public prosecutors, district administration officials and law students from the Northeastern States took part in the conference.
The inaugural session on Saturday shed light on the overarching objectives of the new criminal law triad, set to redefine the structure of India’s criminal justice system and profoundly impact the lives of its citizens. In addition to the discourses on the inaugural day, the second day of the conference will have three technical sessions, one on each new law.
The first technical session on Sunday featured in-depth discussions centered on adopting a comparative approach to assess the implementation of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS).
The second technical session explored the salient aspects of Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA). Discussions focussed on the widened scope of “documents” and “evidence,” facilitated by the introduction of comprehensive definitions.
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The third technical session delved into the ramifications of the procedural changes introduced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) on investigation of crime by police officers, and infusion of ICT tools which has practical implications for the functioning of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
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