No Assamese translation of new criminal laws will cause chaos, says Assam lawyer

Assam's senior advocate Santanu Borthakur has raised concerns about the impact of the new criminal laws on the Assamese-speaking population. With the new criminal laws set to be implemented from July 1, the Assamese translations essential for the state's police force and legal community remain unavailable, which could cause chaos in the state, especially when people file cases at police stations.

Speaking to India Today NE, Borthakur said that while judges and lawyers will primarily work with the original English versions of these laws, people might face significant challenges in understanding the new criminal laws due to the lack of translation.

"The lawyers and judges will not face any obstacles as they will only work on the original English versions," Borthakur said. "The difficulty will arise for the normal citizens who don't understand English or the complex jargons involved in the new criminal laws."

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While he is unsure whether the laws have been translated into Hindi, he confirmed that other states currently only have English versions. He also said he had no information on when the Assamese translations will be available.

Speaking about the implementation of the new laws, Borthakur predicted a "chaotic" transition period.

"The sections will be different, and in some cases, the language will pose a difficulty. Lawyers and judges will be bombarded with cases interpreting different statutes," he explained.

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He pointed out the confusion that may arise in situations such as police custody, where both the new and old laws may need to be referenced depending on when a case was initiated, which could inconvenience the people who are filing complaints.

"At one point, lawyers will have to refer to both new and old criminal laws for cases before July 1 and for later cases after the new laws come into force," Borthakur further said.