CIVICUS discusses India’s new criminal laws with Aditya Shrivastava, a human rights lawyer, civil society activist and researcher with the Contested Democracy Platform at Södertörn University in Sweden.
In 2024, the government of India introduced three new criminal laws with the stated aim of improving and decolonising its justice system. While these laws include some positive changes, such as victim-centric provisions and increased use of technology, they largely retain the content of the colonial-era codes they’re replacing and expand police powers, introduce vaguely defined offences and extend detention periods. Inadequate infrastructure and systemic barriers may also limit the effectiveness of any improvements.