CJI DY Chandrachud Declines To Comment On New Criminal Laws, Says Issues Are Sub-Judice

"These are issues which are sub-judice before the Supreme Court, maybe possibly the other high courts. Therefore, I should not be speaking on anything likely to come up before the court."

CJI stated this after a question related to the new Acts was asked to him at the Foundation Stone-Laying Ceremony for the construction of three Court buildings at Karkardooma, Shastri Park, and Rohini.

The laws, viz. Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita(BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively, with effect from July 1, 2024.

Recently a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking issuance of directions to constitute an expert committee for assessing and identifying the viability of these criminal laws has been filed before the Supreme Court.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to entertain PIL challenging the new criminal laws saying that the laws were not in force. On May 19, the Supreme Court dismissed another PIL challenging the new criminal laws, saying that the petition was drafted in a casual manner.  

While addressing a public event in April,  Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud commented that the new laws will create a positive impact only if the required investments for infrastructure development and capacity building of forensic experts and investigating officers are made as soon as possible.