The National Judicial Academy, Bhopal (NJA), established in 1993 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, operates as an independent society fully funded by the Government of India. The primary mandate of the NJA is to organize training programs to support judges in their judicial roles and court administration responsibilities.

In this context, the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), through its letter dated 23.01.2024, requested the National Judicial Academy to provide inputs, training materials, and a list of resource persons to be utilized for the training and capacity building of police personnel and other stakeholders in the context of the new criminal laws. In pursuance thereof, the National Judicial Academy is actively assisting in coordinating with the Central Academy for Police Training (CAPT), Bhopal, and other Central Institutions, as well as State Judicial Academies, to facilitate training and capacity building for all relevant stakeholders on the new criminal legislations. Details of the academic programs proposed by State Judicial Academies on new Criminal legislations for the Academic year 2024-25 are provided in the Annexure.

Furthermore, an amount of Rs. 20.00 Crore has been allocated as a budget to the National Judicial Academy for the financial year 2024-25.

The Bar Council of India (BCI), which oversees the legal profession and legal education in India, issued a directive on 20.05.2024 addressed to Vice Chancellors, Registrars, Principals, Deans, and Directors of all Universities and Centers of Legal Education, which mandated the incorporation of new legal enactments into the Law curriculum commencing from the Academic Year 2024-25.

A Gazette Notification {S.O. 2790 (E)} dated 16.07.2024 issued by the Legislative Department states that “where any reference of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), or the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) or the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872 or any provisions thereof is made in any— (a) Act made by Parliament; or (b) Act made by the Legislature of any State; (c) Ordinance; (d) Regulations made under article 240 of the Constitution; (e) President’s order; (f) rules, regulations, order or notification made under any Act, Ordinance or Regulation, for the time being in force, such reference shall respectively be read as the reference of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023) (BNSS) or the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023) (BSA), and the corresponding provisions of such law shall be construed accordingly.

Details of academic programs proposed by State Judicial Academies on new Criminal Legislations (2024-25)

This information was given by the MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS, SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL in a written reply in the LOK SABHA today.

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