P Chidambaram On New Criminal Law: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday (July 6) claimed that the Centre ignored the Law Commission in making three new criminal laws that came into force from July 1. He said that the Law Commission, which comprises retired judges, legal experts, professors and permanent legal personnel, usually prepares a draft in consultation with members of the Bar Council and advocates’ associations and presents it in Parliament.
Accused of ignoring the Law Commission
Congress leader P Chidambaram said the Law Commission was bypassed and five or six part-timers were appointed to a committee. The Indian Judicial Code, the Indian Civil Defence Code and the Indian Evidence Act came into force from July 1, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.
‘Cruel punishments were included’
P Chidambaram said at a protest organised by the DMK’s advocate wing against the new laws, “The laws were not sent to the Law Commission nor was it consulted. This is wrong.” He said, “The death penalty has been abolished all over the world, but here solitary confinement has been included as a punishment, which is an unusual and cruel punishment according to the Constitution.”
The former Union minister said that such punishment is not prevalent anywhere in the world. He said, “Similarly, life imprisonment and life imprisonment for the rest of life have also been included. What is the difference?” P Chidambaram said that he had been insisting on a debate on new laws for many months, but the government refused because it was not ready for it.
‘New law cut, copy, paste’
He said, “90-99 per cent of the new laws are cut, copy and paste work. The government could have brought some amendments instead. I did not say there should be no amendments…they should have brought an amendment. They only changed the numbers of the sections. Lawyers, judges, police should now read it again.”
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