Commission to study new criminal Laws

Chennai: Chief Minister M K Stalin appointed a one-man commission, headed by Justice (Retired) M Sathyanarayanan, to examine the three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) , that came into force from July 1, replacing the old Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act.

The commission will submit its report to the State government in one month’s time after deeply examining the new laws by discussing it with various stakeholders including the lawyers’ associations in the State and recommending amendments that could be brought at the State level, an official press release said on Monday.

The decision was taken after a consultative meeting of Ministers, high level State officials, legal experts and top police officers was held at the Secretariat with Stalin presiding over it.

Since the new laws with Sanskrit names did not adhere to the Constitutional provision and were also brought in without proper discussion in Parliament, they were basically flawed and did not have the consent of the States, the release said.

Demanding the postponement of the implementation of the new laws till the opinion of the State governments on the laws were sought, the meeting recalled the Parliament passing the law in a hurry in December, 2023, when 146 MPs were placed under suspension.

The meeting also referred to the opposition that new laws were facing in various parts of the country.