From clubbing women and children under one chapter to summarily ignoring long-stewing concerns over justice for transgender and queer people, the BNS fails to stand up as a legal system for this day and age.

The provisions of the Bill ignore constitutional guarantees of fundamental rights, judicial developments, people’s movements and concerns, and public discourse in India and elsewhere.

The Supreme Court is poised to deliver a landmark judgement that may make marital rape a crime, a fiercely debated subject with roots in colonial law.

If we are to believe that the government has finally woken up from its slumber (just in time for the 2024 general elections), and is now determined to enact a UCC, we are in a position to decide on supporting it only when we know its contents. 

In the International Criminal Court's Statute, victims are placed at the heart of justice. In India, there appears to be no uniform legal compulsion to hear the victims’ views before granting remission to a convict.

Despite severe shortcomings, the importance of the ICC lies in the possible deterrent effect it may have on the commission of most serious crimes under international law in future

States are opposing and undermining the ICC through their non-cooperation precisely because they feel threatened by its capability to prosecute their top leaders for the most serious crimes under international law.

Despite challenges in the ICC’s implementation of all three facets of victims’ rights – protection, participation and reparations, it has significantly placed the victims at the core of justice dispensation.

While powerhouse countries throw their weight around on the field of international justice, it is worth looking at how effective the ICC has been in achieving its goals of holding those guilty of international crimes to account.

The scale and scope of their oppression highlights the importance of international justice initiatives for the Rohingya people, dubbed by the UN Secretary General as "the most persecuted minority in the world."

While the opening of an International Criminal Court investigation into Israel's colonisation of Palestine serves as symbolic victory for Palestinians, the road to international justice also requires efforts from beyond the ICC.

Despite confirmation of charges of sexual and gender-based violence against women and men, the ICC has thus far had a poor track record in convicting suspects for these crimes.

In light of the current situation in Afghanistan, there is a need to review the efforts of the UN's International Criminal Court and the institution's past efforts to hold those guilty of war crimes to account.