National Desk, 12th December: Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three revised bills aiming to replace existing criminal laws, emphasizing that the changes primarily address grammatical corrections. The bills, namely Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second), 2023, are under consideration.
Simultaneously, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal presented the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023, in the Rajya Sabha. The proposed legislation aims to regulate the appointment, conditions of service, and term of office for the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners. Notably, the bill suggests establishing a committee, including the Prime Minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM, to select Election Commission members. This move is in response to a recent Supreme Court verdict, and the bill aims to alter the selection process.
In a related development, the Centre has opted to replace the term “mental illness” with “unsound mind” in the Bhartiya Nyay Samhita (BNS) 2023. This change, among others recommended by a Parliamentary panel, prompted the withdrawal of three new criminal law bills from the Lok Sabha, with the introduction of new draft laws.
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