Indian lawyers oppose amendments to Indian Penal Code

India’s legal fraternity has been protesting the Narendra Modi government’s recent changes to three Indian Penal Codes.

Bar associations of the country’s leading high courts are calling the three new legal amendments a hasty move.

India’s three new criminal laws will come into force across the country from today, overturning the British Raj laws, which are expected to bring sweeping changes to the criminal justice system.

According to a report by Indian media outlet ‘India.com’, these new laws named ‘Bharatiya Naya Sanhita’, ‘Bharatiya Nagarak Sarksha Sanhita’ and ‘Bhartiya Sakshya Adhaniyam’ are the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence, respectively. will replace the Act.

Expressing their displeasure, several lawyers boycotted court activities and did not attend hearings in the Kolkata High Court on Monday.

Memoranda were issued by various Bar Associations of the District and High Courts of Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.

B. Raghunath, head of the Hyderabad High Court Bar Association, told Independent Urdu that ‘there are many deficiencies in all the three laws. Logical objections are being made by many intellectuals and legal experts.

“And that’s why we’re joining other bar associations across the country in protesting these laws.”

He added that the new laws have given too many powers to the police, which are dangerous.

‘Because there are already allegations of abuse of power against the police.’

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The Delhi Bar Association has released a letter to the Home Ministry, in which the Bar Council says there should be no rush to implement the new rules.

The letter said: ‘There are several amendments which are contrary to the constitutional spirit. All of these must be addressed.’

Delhi Bar Council Vice President Himal Akhtar told Independent Urdu that ‘We have sent our concern to the government. Not only do we have objections to the hasty implementation of these laws, but we are also concerned that the government has made such amendments to the laws meant for Indian citizens, against which there are already several court decisions.

“Allegedly anti-human rights and freedom of privacy amendments are included in the new laws, they should be discussed today rather than reformed later so that the demands of justice can be met.”

The Bar Council of India, the largest representative body of lawyers, has asked all bar associations in the country to refrain from any kind of protests against the new rules.

The Bar Council says that they will directly negotiate with the Law Minister and the Home Minister in view of the demands of the lawyers and all the concerns will be resolved.