Universal Bare Act The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) , 2023 (46 of 2023)

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, is a legislative proposal to overhaul India's criminal justice system, responding to the demands of seven decades of democracy. It seeks to address the critical challenges faced by the current system, including delays in justice delivery, high case pendency, low conviction rates, and insufficient use of technology and forensics.

These issues have particularly adverse impacts on the economically disadvantaged. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 proposes to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, with a new framework that emphasizes citizen-centric procedures, utilizing technology for crime investigation, electronic communication for legal procedures, and setting specific timelines for investigation, trial, and judgment. It aims to improve victim participation in the legal process, mandating the provision of FIR copies and investigation updates digitally, and ensuring victim hearing in serious cases.

The act introduces mandatory summary trials for minor offenses and permits electronic examination of accused persons, alongside streamlining the magisterial system, to enhance the efficiency and accessibility of the justice system.

• Comparison of relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 (46 of 2023)
• Comparison of relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023) with the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974)
• Selected sections of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) at relevant places
• Spirit of New Criminal Acts with Major Changes in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023)