NCJ Number
152250
Journal
Indian Journal of Criminology Volume: 22 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1994) Pages: 1-4
Date Published
1994
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article addresses the need to modify the Indian penal system to bring it in line with current criminological knowledge, cautions against adding new criminal laws without repealing or restricting old ones, and suggests decriminalizing certain so-called victimless crimes.
Abstract
Today, for effectively dealing with new forms of crimes and law and order problems, there is a unidirectional tendency to pass new criminal laws without repealing or substantially restricting the old ones that are not even enforced. New statutes are enacted in response to crises and scandals of the day. By passing new laws, legislators want to demonstrate their concern and support for good order and public morality. Criminal penalties have been applied to a wide range of activities from regulation of automobile traffic to antiterrorist laws and security regulations. Police workload could be reduced by decriminalizing activities such as adultery, homosexuality, prostitution, pornography, suicide, prohibition, gambling, drug addiction. References