National Conference on New Criminal Laws Concludes Successfully in Patna

The two-day National Conference on New Criminal Laws, inaugurated on 23-11-2024 by the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Shri K. Vinod Chandran, at the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) — the nodal training institute of the State Government — concluded today. This landmark event, scheduled for November 23-24, 2024, brought together a distinguished assembly of judicial luminaries, legal scholars, and senior administrators nationwide.

Prominent delegates in the conference included Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, Shri K. Vinod Chandran, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vipul M Pancholi (Patna High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mohit Kumar Shah (Patna High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Anshuman (Patna High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj (Punjab and Haryana High Court), Hon’ble Dr. Justice K. Manmadha Rao (Andhra Pradesh High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Venkata Jyothirmai Pratapa (Andhra Pradesh High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vivek Agarwal (Madhya Pradesh High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dr. Kauser Edappagath (Kerala High Court), Hon’ble Mr. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh (Calcutta High Court), Hon'ble Mr. Justice Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar Panigrahi (Orissa High Court), and Advocate General of Bihar, Shri P. K. Shahi, also graced the occasion. 500 newly appointed Assistant Prosecution Officers also attended the conference through video conferencing. The conference also featured participation from Vice Chancellors of leading National Law Universities, representatives of Directors General of Police, Home Secretaries, District Judges, and judicial dignitaries from across India. Representatives from 26 States and Union Territories, including significant participation from the North-Eastern region, underlined the national character of the event. The deliberations focused on the implementation and early impact of three transformative laws—BNSS, BNS and BSA—that came into force on July 1, 2024. 

The discussions aimed to evaluate how these laws contribute to expediting the justice delivery system and reshaping the criminal justice framework. The conference contained six technical sessions in total, chaired and co-chaired by Hon’ble Judges of High Court and moderated by Vice Chancellors of National Law Universities. A total of 13 presentations were given by District Judges, Additional District Judges, and senior IPS officers, providing insights into the challenges, experiences, and learnings from the first 120 days of implementing the new laws. These technical sessions provided insights into the procedural and operational challenges under BNS, BNSS and BSA covering issues like cognizance, proclaimed offenders, trial in absentia, and witness protection. The sessions also addressed practical challenges faced by civil servants, police, and judicial officers, particularly in evidence handling and privacy compliance. The conference served as a significant platform for sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration, ensuring that all stakeholders returned enlightened and better equipped to navigate the evolving legal landscape.

Addressing the press conference after the conference, Sh. P. K. Shahi, Advocate General, Bihar said that the tireless efforts of BIPARD for bringing together Judiciary, administration, investigating agencies and academicians were commendable. He appreciated the efforts of Sh. K. K. Pathak, Director General, BIPARD in bringing all stakeholders on single platform for more meaningful implementation of new criminal laws that is aimed at providing speedy justice to the masses.