Constitutional Conduct Group, a collective of civil servants who retired from the bureaucracy, on Friday joined the chorus of demands for deferring the implementation of the new criminal laws, stating that "India will no longer be a functioning democracy" once they come into effect.

The three laws — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 — will come into effect on July 1. Stating that the three complex laws, which will replace the entire edifice of criminal justice, are "second only to the Constitution of India in their importance in the daily lives of common people in the country, especially the most vulnerable and marginalised sections," the retired bureaucrats lamented the fact that they were rushed through Parliament without proper deliberation.

In an open letter to the President, Prime Minister, home minister, party presidents and MPs, the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG) urged them to "ensure that these new laws do not hollow out our constitutional rights and jeopardise our democracy. We, therefore, appeal to all of you to take urgent steps to ensure that the enforcement of the new criminal statutes is deferred and the new criminal laws are reviewed at an all-party meeting to develop a national consensus".

In their opinion, the new laws in effect regularise extraordinary powers, which should normally be available only in legitimate states of emergency as provided in the Constitution. "The effect of these laws, as currently approved, is that, once they come into effect, India will no longer be a functioning democracy."