Chairman of the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh Shiv Kishore Gaur has urged fellow advocates to study new laws and compare them with old ones and thereafter point out flaws, if any.
With the three criminal laws bringing changes to the country’s criminal justice framework, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh has sent letters to all lawyers’ associations of the state and sought their suggestions, if any, on these laws by July 5.
Thereafter, the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh will take up the issue with the Bar Council of India. Till then, it has asked all lawyers’ associations to refrain from protest. Voices of concern are being raised by lawyers all across the state about the new laws.
The Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh, an apex body of lawyers in the state, will form an expert committee of lawyers to review suggestions or changes recommended by lawyers, if any, before forwarding them to the BCI. The decades -old Indian Penal Code (1860) and the Indian Evidence Act (1872) enacted during British rule, have been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita has replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (1973). These laws were passed by Parliament in December last and they came into force from Monday (July 1).
Chairman of the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh Shiv Kishore Gaur has urged fellow advocates to study new laws and compare them with old ones and thereafter point out flaws, if any. Interacting with HT, Shiv Kishore Gaur shared lawyers’ concerns related to new laws. Excerpts:
The Bar Council is getting calls from lawyers across the state expressing concern over laws.
We are in contact with all lawyers’ associations of the state and also all Bar Councils of the country.
A section of legal luminaries has voiced concern about these laws. Some are of the opinion that they might be against the general public or the legal fraternity.
We have sent letters to around 700 lawyers’ associations of the state asking them to study both the new and old laws and thereafter list out suggestions or changes, if any.
They will send their recommendations to the Bar Council of Uttar Pradesh by July 5. Thereafter, an expert committee of legal luminaries will study them and if required will forward them to the BCI.
Till then, we have asked lawyers not to stage protests against these new laws.
The BCI has assured lawyers that it will take up the issue with the Union government and convey their concern about the new laws.
The BCI has also issued an appeal to lawyers to refrain from any kind of protest against these new laws.