Rethink the Bill

The criminal procedure law erodes fundamental rights

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022, passed by Parliament last week, is an intrusive and dangerous piece of legislation. It erodes the fundamental rights of citizens and probably violates several of them.

It violates the right to privacy (Article 19) since it envisages the unregulated and, in some cases, forcible collection of personal data, including biometric and genetic data. It also violates the right to silence and avoid self-incrimination, as defined under Article 20. It violates Article 21, which protects “bodily integrity and dignity”, since it involves forcible (in some cases) and intrusive measures such as scans of the iris and