House panel examining bills to replace IPC, CrPC, Evidence Act should invite experts: I.N.D.I.A MPs

MPs from the I.N.D.I.A bloc on Wednesday suggested that domain experts like former Supreme Court judges Justices Madan Lokur and UU Lalit and eminent lawyers Fali S Nariman and Menaka Guruswamy be invited by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs that is examining the bills to replace IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act, sources said.

The suggestion came during a meeting chaired by BJP MP Brijlal, who heads the panel. Sources said Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O'Brien first raised the issue of inviting domain experts for better understanding and suggestions of the Bills.

I.N.D.I.A MPs who were present in the meeting were supportive of the idea. Sources said O'Brien identified 16 areas and experts for each vertical. 

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023, as introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11, were referred to the panel by Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on August 18. It has been given three months to submit its report.

Sources said O'Brien suggested experts who accumulated years of practice on criminal, judges and former judges of the higher judiciary, representatives of Bar Councils, legal academicians, prison officials and prison reform advocates, ethnic and religious leaders, experts from international bodies, human rights organisations and those dealing with cyber crime, experts on juvenile justice and MPs and MLAs among others should be called.

He suggested that it would take at least one and half years to complete the proceedings and one should not rush through such important legislation. 

At the meeting, a lawyer Jagadeesh Rana and senior lawyer Pinky Anand also made their presentations. Sources said Rana, who practises in Ajmer court, told the panel that he could have done a better presentation but he had got the intimation for attending the meeting only day before yesterday. 

"General statutes are here for ages. These will affect the lives of the poor more than anyone else. These should be crafted with utmost care. This legislation should not be rushed through," O'Brien told reporters later.

DMK MP NR Elango also spoke about the Bills. Congress MP and former Home Minister P Chidambaram is likely to give his views on the Bills on September 22 when the committee meets again.