HYDERABAD: Rajavardhan Reddy, president of the Metropolitan Criminal Courts Bar Association, said that the new criminal laws, which replaced British-era legislation, were quite useful to the society, public litigants, advocates and courts.
He encouraged advocates to get acquainted and adapt the new practices, particularly while handling electronic evidence and understanding enhanced punishments thereof.
He was speaking at the inauguration of a two-day interactive session, hosted by the association, here on Saturday.
On the agenda were elaborate discussions on Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhitha, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitha and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
Gracing the occasion were Justice Sujoy Paul, Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, and B. Narasimha Sharma, additional solicitor general. Advocate Chandrasekaran from the Chennai High Court spoke on the new laws.
The primary aim of the event was to make everyone to understand why these laws were introduced and how they mark an improvement over the existing judicial system.
Major topics discussed in the session included updates to the Criminal Procedure Code (CRPC), Indian Penal Code (IPC), and the Evidence Act. The new amendments aim to modernise legal processes with provisions like video conferencing for trials, witness protection schemes and the use of electronic evidence. Stricter punishments for crimes such as rape and domestic violence, as well as measures to protect women, were also discussed.
The session gave a call to the advocates and law students to embrace the reforms and uphold the integrity of the legal profession.
