We Have Had An Overactive Parliament Over Last Ten Years, Look At The Change And Its Positive Effects: Delhi HC Acting Chief Justice Manmohan On New Criminal Laws

Acting Chief Justice Manmohan of the Delhi High Court, yesterday, praised the Parliament for its innovative law-making over the past ten years. While speaking at a symposium about the three new criminal and evidence laws, Justice Manmonah said that we have had an overactive Parliament over the last ten years and that its positive effects are visible. 

"I had stored all my old Acts and I had not allowed them to be disposed of as I have been a Judge for about 16 years because I said I would need it after some time. For the last ten years, we have had such an overactive Parliament that nearly all the old Acts have become worthless", Justice Manmohan said. 

He gave examples of the Companies Act, the Income Tax Act, and the GST. "Look at the change and its positive effect that has happened in the last ten years. Just look at the GST collections. How phenomenally high they have gone. The problem today is there is poverty of ideas. If you find the right people in the slot, you will find great ideas and just look, by one statute, the revenue of the state has gone up manyfold. It could not have happened previously because, somehow, the Parliament was not very active. But in the last ten years, the way the Parliament has enacted laws, and such drastic laws, everything has changed", he said. 

Justice Manmohan was speaking at a symposium organised by Lawyer's Voice on the subject, "New Criminal Laws, From Colonial Imprints To Emerging India". Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was also present and spoke at the event. 

The main speakers at the event were Senior Advocates Mahesh Jethmalani, Chetan Sharma and Mohit Mathur. The President of Lawyer's Voice Surender Kr. Gupta and Secretary Neeraj also spoke during the event held at the Auditorium in Delhi High Court. 

Talking about the new criminal laws, Justice Manmohan said that as a judge sitting on the criminal side, he felt that the whole scenario needed an overhaul. He said that witnesses turn hostile in most of the serious criminal cases and this happens as people feel alienated from the law and the public felt that the law will not get them justice. 

The Judge spoke about the need for digital evidence including videography of crime scenes and a victim-centric approach.  He said that he is glad that videography has been included in the new law and that the forensic branch has now been made more active. He also said that the timelines fixed in the new laws are a welcome change. 

The full speech of Justice Manmohan can be viewed here.