Speaking in Kurukshetra during the inauguration of an exhibition on the new laws, Shah emphasised that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam together replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Evidence Act, with effect from 1 July 2024. He maintained that the old statutes were designed more for control than for justice.
He pointed to telling statistics from the first year of implementation: across the country, chargesheets have been filed within 60 days in 53 per cent of cases and within 90 days in 65 per cent of cases. In Haryana, 71 per cent of cases saw chargesheets filed within 60 days and 83 per cent within 90 days. He also noted that Haryana’s conviction rate has risen to 80 per cent from 40 per cent prior to the new laws. He singled out case examples: a murder conviction within 112 days and a rape case resolved in 19 days, which he said reflect the new system’s efficacy.
To underpin the transformation, Shah described a fully integrated digital architecture linking police, prisons, judiciary, prosecution and forensic agencies. Videography of all seizures is now mandatory, and forensic examination is required for offences punishable by at least seven years’ imprisonment. The new regime also introduces trial in absentia for those who flee the country and makes it easier for women and children to lodge complaints via zero FIRs and e-FIRs.
Asked about fears that tight timelines might undermine fairness, Shah stressed that the provisions are designed to strengthen rather than weaken standards of due process. He cautioned against “tareekh pe tareekh” — repeated court adjournments — which he said the new legal regime intends to end.
Opposition parties, however, have questioned whether the three-year deadline is realistic, given persistent backlogs in courts and shortages of investigative resources in many states. Skeptics warn that fiscal constraints and uneven infrastructure across states could hamper uniform compliance. Some legal experts suggest that without significant expansion of courts, forensic labs and trained personnel, the new deadlines may impose burdens on lower courts and investigating agencies.
Previous reforms hint at the scale of the task. In June, Shah inaugurated a Central Forensic Science Laboratory in Rajarhat, Kolkata, as part of plans to build forensic clusters and scale up state capabilities. He pledged that the criminal justice system “from January 2026” would shift from being argument-centric to evidence-centric. In that address, he announced funding for new forensic science labs and a national forensic data centre.
Implementation remains the litmus test. Several state police forces and judiciary segments are still adapting to the new procedures. Training programmes have been launched for judges, public prosecutors, investigators and forensic scientists, but sceptics note gaps in absorption and local capacity. In states where court vacancies and court infrastructure lag, meeting the three-year target could prove challenging.