India unveils reforms to overhaul colonial-era criminal justice laws

Bills aim to prioritize citizens' rights and speedy justice, marking a historic shift away from British-drafted laws

ISTANBUL:

The Indian government on Friday sent to parliament a trio of bills to replace British-era criminal justice laws with new laws that will, in the government’s words, "prioritize citizens' rights."

"I can assure the house that these bills will transform our criminal justice system. The aim will not be to punish, it will be to provide justice,” Home Minister Amit Shah told the lower house of India’s parliament, as quoted by New Delhi-based Press Trust of India.

The British-drafted laws, he stated, are "full of signs of slavery aimed at punishing those opposed to their rule.”

The proposed laws "will transform the country's criminal justice system and bring the spirit to protect the rights of the Indian citizen at the center stage," Shah added.

"The changes were done to provide speedy justice and create a legal system that keeps contemporary needs and (the) aspirations of the people," he said.

"The government is committed to making a comprehensive review of the framework of criminal laws to provide accessible and speedy justice to all," he added.