Delhi’s legal community has commenced protests against the newly introduced criminal laws, describing some of the provisions as excessively harsh. In a unanimous decision, lawyers across all courts in Delhi will boycott judicial work on July 15.
The Coordination Committee of the All District Courts Bar Association in Delhi, led by General Secretary Atul Kumar Sharma and Chairman Jagdeep Vats, issued an appeal today urging the legal community to oppose the new laws which they claim violate basic human rights. The appeal highlighted particularly cruel provisions regarding police custody, which they argue will hinder the process of justice.
According to Sunil Kumar, the Secretary of the All India Lawyers Union’s Delhi unit, the new “Indian Civil Protection Code” includes a clause (Section 187(3)) that potentially extends police custody from 15 days to 60-90 days. This modification significantly exceeds the 15-day limit set under the previous Code of Criminal Procedure, raising concerns over increased instances of custodial mistreatment and a direct assault on the rights of detained individuals.
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Another contentious aspect of the new legislation is Section 37, which mandates the public display of details concerning arrested individuals, a move that lawyers argue infringes upon the constitutional right to privacy. Kumar pointed out that this provision contravenes international agreements and overlooks the rights of the arrested, undermining their human rights and dignity.
