Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on Monday addressed the 20th DP Kohli Lecture organized in memory of the first director of CBI. In his address, he praised the new criminal laws brought to replace the British era laws and called it an “important step” towards modernization of the justice system.
Justice Chandrachud said that the Indian Judicial Code, the Indian Civil Protection Code and the Indian Evidence Act provide a comprehensive approach to ensure uninterrupted flow of information. He said that the purpose of these laws is to provide better coordination and cooperation between the stakeholders involved in the investigation and judicial processes. Let us tell you that these three new laws will come into effect from July 1.
What did DY Chandrachud say on investigating agencies?
In his address, Chief Justice (CJI) DY Chandrachud said that agencies like CBI should focus on crimes which are actually posing a threat to the country’s security, economic condition and public order. Expressing concern over incidents of ‘unwarranted’ seizure of personal devices during raids, Justice Chandrachud said these things highlight the urgent need to strike a balance between investigative imperatives and individual privacy rights.
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The CJI further said that there is a need to maintain a ‘delicate balance’ between the powers of investigative agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to search and seize and the individual’s right to privacy. Justice Chandrachud said that in the criminal justice sector, there is a very delicate balance between search and seizure powers and individual privacy rights and this is the cornerstone of a fair and just society. At the core of this balance is the need to maintain due process.
The scope of investigation agencies is very less
The CJI further said, I feel that despite the rapid change in things, the scope of our investigative agencies has been very limited in the last few years. Our major investigating agencies should focus on such crimes which are actually a threat to the security of the nation, economic condition and public order. Earlier, the CJI awarded President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service to six personnel and Police Medal for Meritorious Service to 29 CBI officers.