National New Criminal Law Working Conference Concludes
The two-day national conference chaired by Patna High Court Chief Justice Vinod Chandran concluded on Sunday at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) in Gaya. The conference, held on November 23 and 24, brought together jurists, legal experts and senior managers from across the country. The purpose of this historic event is the introduction of three new criminal codes, effective from 1 July 2024 – BNSS, BNS and BSA The aim is to assess implementation and its initial impact.
On the occasion, Patna Chief Justice K. Many eminent judges from across the country including Vinod Chandran, Justice M. Pancholi, Mohit Kumar Shah Justice Mohit Kumar Shah and Dr. Ans human, among others, attended the meeting. The conference had a national dimension with the presence of senior judges of the High Courts of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Punjab-Haryana. Bihar Attorney General PK Shahi and 500 newly appointed Assistant Public Prosecutors also participated in the event.
Effective application of criminal law
During this period, the Chief Justice emphasized the effective application of the new criminal law in his inaugural address. He said the collective participation of judges, legal experts and administrative officials will provide useful insights for faster implementation of the justice system.
A total of six technical sessions were arranged at the conference, chaired by judges of the High Court. The meeting discussed procedural and operational challenges under the new law. Practical issues such as protection, judicial proceedings in absentia and evidence collection were also discussed during the meeting through 13 projects.
Discuss challenges facing the justice system
The conference brought together representatives from 26 states and union territories and provided an opportunity to focus on emerging challenges facing the criminal justice system and their solutions. The active participation of Northeastern states further enriched the content of this event.
Bihar Attorney General PK Shahi praised BIPARD Director General KK Pathak at the end of the meeting. He said the effort was an important example of integrating judicial, administrative and investigative agencies on one platform, which would prove to be a milestone in the direction of speedy justice.
