Overview of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (“BNS”)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita,2023 ( BNS ), which has come in force since July 01,2024 to replace the Indian Penal Code,1860 ( IPC ), has brought about several significant changes to the Indian criminal justice system. BNS consists of 358 sections enumerated under 20 chapters as compared to 511 Sections of IPC in 23 Chapters. Further, definitions scattered from section 6 to section 52 of IPC have also been brought under two sections viz. Section 2 on ‘definitions’ and Section 3 on ‘general explanations’ under Chapter I of BNS. Though the BNS retains most offences from the IPC, the significant changes are as follows: 1. Deletion of Definitions under IPC: In the BNS, many definitions have been merged and are listed alphabetically under clause 2 of BNS. Gender has been redefined and in addition to male and female gender, transgender has even been transgender has been included in the definition of ‘Gender’ under Section 2(10) of BNS. Changes have been made in de...