New criminal laws: ‘Old wine in new bottles’ says retired SC judge Justice Chelameswar

Jasti Chelameswar, former Supreme Court judge, criticized the new criminal laws, effective from July 1, as superficial changes to existing laws. He questioned the feasibility of the stringent timelines for case resolutions, citing the inefficiency and lack of digital infrastructure in India's court system. Chelameswar highlighted concerns about extended police detention periods and inadequate public prosecution appointments. He doubted the new laws would achieve their goals of speedy justice and modernized procedures, considering the overburdened judiciary with 3.4 crore pending cases and untrained lawyers.