All UTs to be ready to implement new criminal justice laws by Dec 2024: Amit Shah

Chandigarh, Dec 22 (PTI) A day after Parliament gave its nod to the three new criminal justice laws, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said that by December 2024, all Union territories in the country will be ready to implement the new laws.

He also said that by January 31 next year, all review meetings for the implementation of the three laws across the Union territories will be completed.

“By December next year, the UTs of our nation will have all the necessary infrastructure, software, trained human resources, and completely computerised courts to readily implement the three newly passed criminal justice system laws,” Shah said here.

The Union minister later reviewed the functioning of the UT Chandigarh administration and took stock of the available infrastructure to implement the three laws here.

While Lok Sabha passed the Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill on Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha gave its nod on Thursday.

The three legislations will replace the Indian Penal Code of 1860, the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively.

While replying to a debate in Parliament, Shah asserted that the focus of the laws is on delivering justice rather than handing down punishment.

The three legislations were drafted after comprehensive consultations, he said, adding that he had gone through every comma and full stop of the draft legislations before bringing them to the House for approval.