Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Future of Criminal Procedure

Abstract

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) is a famous reform of the Indian criminal justice system, which replaces the outdated Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973. Incorporated with the aim of developing a citizen-focused, technology-intensive, and procedurally lean system, the BNSS establishes mandatory forensic investigations, draws strict schedules of judicial processes, and integrates digitalization to speed up the delivery of justice i.e., the audio-video recording of investigation interviews is mandatory, and the use of electronic First Information Reports (e-FIRs). It also examines implementation challenges, such as infrastructural weaknesses and shortages of professional training and offers a transitional road map to be undertaken in stages and focuses on capacity building. However, policy proposals highlight the need to have a lot of investment on forensic infrastructure, a thorough judicial education programmes, and legislative tweaking to mitigate the current challenges.
Finally, the BNSS aims at restructuring the justice system into a more just paradigm that will combine enforcement apparatus and protection of individual rights.