Ministry Clarifies New Criminal Justice Laws

The law ministry announced that references to the old IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act in any legal documents will now point to the new BNS, BNSS, and BSA. A recent notification reaffirms this under the General Clauses Act, emphasizing the change and addressing awareness gaps from recent seminars and conferences.

On Tuesday, the law ministry clarified that any mention of the now-replaced IPC, CrPC, and Evidence Act in statutes, ordinances, or regulations will refer to the new criminal justice laws.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Evidence Act were superseded by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) on July 1.

The legislative department within the law ministry issued a notification in line with the General Clauses Act to address this change.

An official explained that the notification reaffirms the provisions of the General Clauses Act pertaining to repealed and re-enacted laws, as some individuals were found unaware of these provisions during various conferences and seminars.

The initiative aims to bring clarity and reinforce these facts, the official added.

(With inputs from agencies.)