As a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs examines three Bills that seek to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Evidence Act, members of Opposition parties are learnt to be in favour of consulting domain experts on the matter to seek clarity and inputs. They are planning to make such a suggestion to the committee chairperson. Among the names of 16 domain experts being considered by the Opposition members are those of former judges, Justices U U Lalit and Madan Lokur, and legal experts such as Maneka Guruswamy, senior advocate of the Supreme Court. The panel, chaired by BJP Rajya Sabha MP Brijlal, began examining the three Bills last month, with Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla making a presentation on aspects of the proposed legislation. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had introduced Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (to replace IPC), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (to replace CrPC), and Bharatiya Sakshya (to replace Evidence Act) in Lok Sabha during the monsoon session. The House had referred them to the standing committee. The members have suggested that the whole process of examining the Bills, getting feedback from the experts and going through their views is likely to take about 18 months. After Wednesday's meeting, TMC's Derek O’Brien said, “The general statutes of criminal law have existed for ages. The general statutes of criminal law will affect the lives of the poor more than anyone else and, therefore, must be crafted with utmost care.” The three Bills seek an overhaul of existing laws, which Shah described as a colonial legacy, and will cater to contemporary needs and aspirations of the people. The House panel has to submit its report within three months, in time for the government to table the updated Bills in the next Parliament session.
