The three new criminal laws are “the biggest reform the country has witnessed in the 21st century”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday said that adding that they make the process of justice delivery simpler and time bound and after 2026, an FIR will be disposed of in three years on an average.“There is a perception among people that if they go to a police station, they will not get justice for years. I can say it with confidence that after 2026, a First Information Report will be disposed of in three years on an average and justice will be ensured,” Shah said.There will be no “tareekh pe tareekh” (repeated adjournments in courts), the home minister said, adding the new laws would give priority to providing justice, unlike the colonial-era laws that gave primacy to penal action.The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), framed by the BJP-led Centre, replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively. The new laws came into effect on July 1, 2024.Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a week-long exhibition on the three laws in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, Shah said, the purpose of the laws framed by the British was to maintain their rule in India.“We gained independence on August 15, 1947, but did not get rid of the laws framed by the British in the British Parliament in the 1860s,” he said and added that the new laws have been crafted based on the three principles given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “citizen first, dignity first, justice first”. Instead of a “stick” and “third degree”, the police, under the new laws, work on data and scientific evidence. Now, police, jail, the judiciary, the prosecution and forensics have been connected online, he said.Thanks to e-FIRs and zero FIRs, women need not visit police stations anymore to get a complaint lodged, he said. “Online FIRs can be registered. All zero FIRs are being converted into regular FIRs within 24 hours”. Videography of all seizures has been made mandatory, and forensic investigation compulsory for all offenses carrying a punishment of seven years or more, he added.Story continues below this adHe further said that new challenges like mob lynching, terrorism, organised crime and digital crime have emerged. There is a provision in the new laws for a trial in absentia for an accused who has fled the country, he said.Shah said nearly 14.8 lakh police personnel, 42,000 prison staff, 19,000 judicial officers and more than 11,000 public prosecutors have been sensitised about the new laws.In one year since their implementation, chargesheets were filed within 60 days in 53 per cent criminal cases lodged across the country, and within 90 days in 65 per cent cases.“In Haryana, 71 per cent chargesheets were filed within 60 days and 83 per cent within 90 days. The conviction rate in Haryana doubled to 80 per cent after the implementation of the new criminal laws. I congratulate the Haryana government that while I had talked about achieving a 75-per cent conviction rate, you have made it 80 per cent,” Shah said.Story continues below this adMeanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini emphasised on the integration of modern technology into policing and investigation. “Haryana has launched the eSakshya and e-Summon apps, with all investigating officers trained to upload audio-video recordings digitally. To support remote testimony and electronic evidence handling, we have established 2,145 video conferencing rooms across police stations, forensic labs, courtrooms, jails, and banks. From January 1 till August 31, 2025, forensic examinations of crime scenes were recorded through the e-Sakshya app in 96.71 per cent of cases,” Saini said.At the exhibition, there was also a live demonstration simulating a crime-scene investigation under the new laws. It showcases the achievements of the new laws and highlights the roles of various departments, divided into 10 thematic sections. It also explains the direct benefits of the new legal framework, including speedy trials, the use of modern technology and quicker case resolutions.On the occasion, Shah also said the people of Haryana have given their mandate to the BJP for a third consecutive term and no stone has been left unturned for the state’s development. He also digitally inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth approximately Rs 825 crore for Haryana.