The Bar Council of West Bengal unanimously resolved on Wednesday to observe July 1 as ‘Black Day’ to protest against the three new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023.
These laws, set to replace the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act, are scheduled to come into effect on July 1.
The resolution was passed during the Bar Council meeting on June 25, where members expressed unanimous concern about the new criminal laws. They resolved that these laws are anti-people, undemocratic, and will cause significant hardship to the common man.
The Council also called on the presidents of all Bar Associations in West Bengal and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to abstain from judicial work and organize protest rallies on July 1.
“Resolved unanimously that as a mark of protest against Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, this Council will observe July 1, 2024, as ‘Black Day.’ Lawyers of West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands will abstain from their judicial work on that day, and all Bar Associations will organize protest rallies in their respective associations on July 1, 2024,” the resolution stated.
