On Tuesday, December 12, the government presented three revised bills in Parliament to substitute the current criminal laws. These bills incorporate several suggestions put forth by a parliamentary panel. Consequently, the government has expanded the range of cases in which media coverage is prohibited without prior permission from the court.
According to the revised Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, the media is not allowed to report on court proceedings regarding sexual intercourse through deceitful means, gang rape, and punishment for repeat offenders without obtaining permission from the court.
In this bracket, there are additional cases where reporting on proceedings is prohibited without the court's permission. However, it is permissible for the media to report on court proceedings in rape cases, as long as the identity of the victim is not disclosed.
Court proceedings in which reporting is prohibited without the court's authorization encompass various scenarios, such as the punishment for rape, the punishment for rape in specific circumstances, the punishment for causing death, instances of sexual intercourse by a husband during separation, and cases of sexual intercourse by a person in authority.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill was initially presented in the Lok Sabha on August 11, alongside the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam bills. These three bills aim to substitute the Indian Penal Code, of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, of 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, of 1872, correspondingly.
In the bills that have been reintroduced, at least five changes have been made. These include changes in Section 73, making it punishable to publish the proceedings of a court which may reveal the identity of victims of rape or victims of similar offences without prior permission from the court.
Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the choice to retract these three bills and reintroduce them was made after the parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs provided recommendations for modifications. Shah emphasized that these recommendations were formulated following extensive deliberations with domain experts and diverse stakeholders.
(With Input from agencies)
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