BCI asks centres of legal education to implement 3 new criminal laws

The Bar Council of India has issued a circular directing centres of legal education (CLEs) across the country to immediately implement its various guidelines, including introducing mediation as a compulsory subject. It also said that CLEs will implement the three new criminal justice laws replacing the Indian Penal Code-1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure-1898 and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 from the academic year 2024-25. The circular dated May 20 and signed by BCI secretary Srimanto Sen was addressed to vice-chancellors and registrars of universities and principals, deans and directors of legal institutions. It said that the circular was being issued in light of the "transformative vision" of legal education as articulated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the "collective keenness" of the judiciary and the government for integrating new subjects in legal education. "The Prime Minister also stated that legal education needs to adapt to the changing times and technologies, .