Bill to decriminalize minor offenses in 42 laws introduced in Lok Sabha

Bill to decriminalize minor offenses in 42 laws introduced in Lok Sabha

Subject :Polity

Context:

• The government introduced the Jan Vishwas Amendment Bill 2022, which seeks to decriminalize minor offenses by amending 183 provisions in 42 Acts with a view to promoting ease of business.

More about the bill:

• The Vivad se Vishwas Bill, 2020 was introduced in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Finance on February 5, 2020.
• The government has taken a series of measures to promote ease of doing business in the past few years.
• About 1,500 old laws have been repealed, 39,000 compliances have been simplified and about 3,500 norms were introduced to decriminalize minor offenses.
• The proposal was mooted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Besides the decriminalization of minor offenses, the bill envisages;
  • The rationalization of monetary penalties depending on the gravity of the offence,
  • Bolstering trust-based governance.
• The Acts which are being amended include the:
  • The Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
  • Public Debt Act, 1944
  • Pharmacy Act, 1948
  • Cinematograph Act, 1952
  • Copyright Act, 1957
  • Patents Act, 1970
  • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
  • Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
• The other laws include the Trade Marks Act, 1999; Railways Act, 1989; Information Technology Act, 2000; Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002; Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006; Legal Metrology Act, 2009; and Factoring Regulation Act, 2011.
• These 42 laws are administered by various Union ministries, including finance, food production and distribution, financial services, agriculture, commerce, environment, road transport and highways, ports, electronics and IT.
• The bill mentions that the novelty involved in the proposal, increased by 10 percent of the minimum amount of fine and penalty levied, after the expiry of every three years.