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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: Decolonizing Criminal Law or Colonial Continuities?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2024

S. M. Aamir Ali Open the ORCID record for S. M. Aamir Ali [Opens in a new window]  and
Pritha Mukhopadhyay Open the ORCID record for Pritha Mukhopadhyay [Opens in a new window]
S. M. Aamir Ali*
Affiliation:
Symbiosis Law School Pune, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India
Pritha Mukhopadhyay
Affiliation:
Symbiosis Law School Pune, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, Maharashtra, India
*
Corresponding author: S. M. Aamir Ali; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

A change is more often than not faced with resistance from thinking minds before it is welcomed. This paper emphasizes the urgent need to scrutinize the proposed changes to the age-old Indian Penal Code to be brought about by the enactment of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). It critically evaluates every such new change to resolve all doubts and apprehensions, in delving particularly into the inspection of the BNS, in a theoretical study comparing with the Indian Penal Code. The paper discusses the “legislative intent and colonial continuities”, “anti-democratic tendencies” and “general critiques” addressing the debates over “patriarchal biases, problems laden within a false promise to marriage in the BNS, linguistic imperialist connotations, and the ambiguities over punishments”. This paper aims to evaluate the premise for an overhaul of the existing penal code and to identify and correspond substantial changes suggested in the new act in light of a promised wave of decolonization.

Abstracto

Abstracto

Los cambios suelen encontrarse con la resistencia de las mentes pensantes antes de ser bien recibidos. Este artículo destaca la urgente necesidad de examinar los cambios propuestos al antiguo Código Penal de la India que se introducirán con la promulgación de la nueva Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Evalúa críticamente cada uno de esos nuevos cambios para disipar todas las dudas y aprensiones, profundizando particularmente en la inspección de la Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, en un estudio comparativo y teórico del Código Penal de la India. El artículo analiza la “intención legislativa y las continuidades coloniales”, las “tendencias antidemocráticas” y las “críticas generales” que abordan los debates sobre los “sesgos patriarcales, los problemas que conlleva una falsa promesa de matrimonio en el BNS, las connotaciones imperialistas lingüísticas y las ambigüedades sobre los castigos”. Este artículo tiene como objetivo evaluar la premisa para una revisión del código penal actual e identificar y hacer corresponder los cambios sustanciales sugeridos en la nueva ley a la luz de una ola prometida de descolonización.

Abstrait

Abstrait

Un changement se heurte le plus souvent à la résistance des esprits réfléchis avant d’être accueilli favorablement. Cet article souligne la nécessité urgente d’examiner les modifications proposées au Code pénal indien séculaire qui seront apportées par la promulgation de la nouvelle Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita de 2023. Il évalue de manière critique chaque nouveau changement de ce type pour dissiper tous les doutes et appréhensions, en se penchant notamment sur l’inspection de la Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita de 2023, dans une étude comparative et théorique du Code pénal indien. L’article aborde « l’intention législative et les continuités coloniales », « les tendances antidémocratiques » et « les critiques générales » abordant les débats sur « les préjugés patriarcaux, les problèmes liés à une fausse promesse de mariage dans le BNS, les connotations impérialistes linguistiques et les ambiguïtés sur les sanctions ». Cet article vise à évaluer les prémisses d’une refonte du code pénal existant et à identifier et à faire correspondre les changements substantiels suggérés dans la nouvelle loi à la lumière d’une vague de décolonisation promise.

摘要

摘要

在受到欢迎之前，变革往往会遭到思想界的抵制。本文强调，迫切需要审查新⟪印度新法律汇编⟫（2023 年)颁布后对古老的⟪印度刑法典⟫提出的修改建议。它批判性地评估了每一项新的变化，以解决人们心中的所有疑虑和忧虑，特别是深入研究了⟪印度新法律汇编⟫（2023 年)，对⟪印度刑法典⟫进行了比较理论研究。本文讨论了“立法意图和殖民延续性”、“反民主倾向”和“一般批评”，针对“父权偏见、BNS 中虚假婚姻承诺中的问题、语言帝国主义内涵和惩罚的模糊性”的争论。本文旨在评估对现有刑法进行全面改革的前提，并根据非殖民化浪潮的承诺确定和对应新法案中建议的重大变化。

الملخص

الملخص

غالبًا ما يواجه التغيير مقاومة من العقول المفكرة قبل الترحيب به. تؤكد هذه الورقة على الحاجة الملحة إلى التدقيق في التغييرات المقترحة على قانون العقوبات الهندي القديم والتي سيتم تحقيقها من خلال سن قانون بهاراتيا نيايا سانهيتا الجديد لعام 2023. كما تقوم بتقييم كل تغيير جديد بشكل نقدي لحل جميع الشكوك والمخاوف، مع الخوض بشكل خاص في فحص قانون بهاراتيا نيايا سانهيتا لعام 2023، في دراسة نظرية مقارنة عبر قانون العقوبات الهندي. تناقش الورقة ”القصد التشريعي والاستمرارية الاستعمارية“، و”الاتجاهات المناهضة للديمقراطية“، و”الانتقادات العامة“ التي تتناول المناقشات حول “التحيزات الأبوية، والمشاكل المحملة بوعد كاذب بالزواج في BNS، والدلالات الإمبريالية اللغوية، والغموض حول العقوبات”. تهدف هذه الورقة إلى تقييم الفرضية لإصلاح قانون العقوبات الحالي وتحديد التغييرات الجوهرية المقترحة في القانون الجديد ومطابقتها في ضوء موجة الاستعمار الموعودة.

Keywords

anti-democratic tendenciesBharatiya Nyaya Sanhitacolonial continuitiesdecolonizationIndian Penal Codetendencias antidemocráticasBharatiya Nyaya Sanhitacontinuidades colonialesdescolonizaciónCódigo Penal Indiotendances antidémocratiquesBharatiya Nyaya Sanhitacontinuites colonialesdecolonisationCode pénal indien反民主倾向、印度新制度研究所、殖民延续性、非殖民化、印度刑法典。الاتجاهات المناهضة للديمقراطية، بهاراتيا نيايا سانهيتا، الاستمرارية الاستعمارية، إنهاء الاستعمار، قانون العقوبات الهندي.
Type
Article
Information
International Annals of Criminology , First View , pp. 1 - 20
Copyright
© International Society of Criminology, 2024

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