Systemic assessment should precede criminal law reforms

In the new Penal, Criminal Procedure and Evidence Bills, there is little to show for the bold goal set by the Home Minister. While there are provisions to augment police’s evidence-gathering capacities through emphasis on more forensic labs, this is unlikely to vastly improve the status quo if the public prosecutor’s office and courts remain untouched. This opinion was published in Deccan Herald on October 19, 2023.