“Laws Of The Country Are For Its Citizens, The Legal Process Should Also Be Citizen-Centric, In The Old Laws The Process Itself Became The Punishment”
“In The Old Laws, Such Derogatory Words Were Used For The Disabled, Which No Civilized Society Can Accept, Basic Mantra Of Indian Justice Code “Citizens First”
“Our Judicial Code Strengthening Spirit Of ‘The People’s People, By The People, For The People’, Which Is The Basis Of Democracy”
Chandigarh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that after intense deliberations and brainstorming, the Indian Justice Code has come out in its present form and after its implementation, thousands of undertrial prisoners, who are languishing in prisons due to archaic laws, have been released.
Modi said this during a specially organized event here for dedicating to the nation the successful implementation of three transformative new criminal laws – the Indian Justice Code, the Indian Civil Defence Code and the Indian Evidence Act. The three laws have come into force from 1st of July. He said that the new laws have been made for the purpose of justice and not for punishment.
The Prime Minister said the Indian Justice Code has been prepared after extensive deliberations, reviewing the challenges faced by the judicial system over seven decades. Every law has been tested from a practical point of view. He also thanked the judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts across the country for these laws.
Dedicating the three laws to the nation, Modi said, “The laws of the country are for its citizens, so the legal process should also be citizen-centric.” However, in the old system, the process itself became the punishment.
He said that in a healthy society, law should be the means of protection but IPC depended only on fear as a means of control and it is good that time has changed now. The PM said that in the old laws, such derogatory words were used for the disabled, which no civilized society can accept. We were the ones who first started calling this class disabled, getting rid of words that made them feel weak. Modi said that in 2016, his government implemented the Act of Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
He said that national thinking was necessary for the country to come out of the colonial thinking and use its potential in nation building. “That is why I had put the resolution of freedom from the mentality of slavery in front of the country from the Red Fort on August 15. Now, through the Indian Justice Code, the Indian Civil Defence Code, the country has taken another strong step in that direction. Our judicial code is strengthening the spirit of ‘the people’s people, by the people and for the people’, which is the basis of democracy.
The basic mantra of the Indian Justice Code is “Citizens First” These laws are becoming the protectors of civil rights, becoming the basis of ‘ease of justice’. Earlier it was so difficult to get an FIR registered, but now “Zero FIR” has also been legalized. The Government believes that the purpose of these new criminal laws is to make India’s judicial system more transparent, efficient and suited to the needs of the contemporary society.
