The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking the removal of the three new criminal laws that were brought by the parliament to replace the old colonial criminal laws and noted that the laws were not in force yet.

The three new criminal laws namely, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita will replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and Indian Evidence Act respectively.

Taking the PIL petition of Chennai resident T Sivagnanasambandan was the bench of CJI DY Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Mishra. "Who are you to challenge the new criminal laws? You have no locus standi (a right to be heard)," the Chief Justice said while dismissing the PIL. The PIL had made the Union Home Ministry and the Law Ministry as the parties of the petition.

The laws were passed in the Indian parliament on the 21st December 2023 and received the presidential assent on 25th of December. These laws will come into effect from the 1st of July after a notice was published in the official gazette of India.

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