Unknown factors till now
Barring reports of some rudimentary training to station-house police personnel
An upgrade to the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems, which will help ease the filing of complaints in electronic form
The exact level of preparedness among the upper and lower echelons of the police
It appears that the Union government decided that it is better to implement them and let the police, courts and lawyers fumble their way towards a rough transition than await a time when everyone involved in the administration of criminal law is brought up to speed
The very names of the new laws appear obscure, with many questioning why there is no English equivalent for the new codes, and why they should bear unfamiliar Hindi names.
There is also a persistent feeling that the laws were not fully debated in the legislature or widely discussed with civil society
There is a looming fear that some of the new provisions, especially the one relating to police custody that can be availed of in multiple tranches, will sharply empower the police to the citizen’s disadvantage.
The inclusion of ‘terrorism’ as an offence in ordinary penal law in addition to the present special anti-terrorism law is bound to cause confusion.
The Centre’s announcement that States are free to make their own amendments is fine, but there is no assurance that such amendments will get early Presidential assent.
COMMENTS