The Kerala High Court ruled that criminal appeals filed on or after July 1, 2024, must adhere to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) procedures, regardless of the date of the conviction judgment. Appeals filed before this date will follow the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) provisions. Refiled appeals will be dated back to their initial presentation. The Court emphasized the importance of adhering to the BNSS once proceedings under the CrPC are completed. The Court also noted a similar ruling by the Punjab and Haryana High Court but disagreed on the maintainability of appeals filed before and after July 1. The current appeal was advised to be amended to comply with BNSS, and legal representation was mentioned.
