The Criminal Court has cancelled all proceedings scheduled for Thursday, in order to complete administrative processes ahead of implementing a new criminal trial code.

The court confirmed this to RaajjeMV, adding that proceedings will resume next week. The new trial code was passed on Tuesday and took effect on Wednesday.

The code was formed as per the Criminal Procedure Act, of which Article 211 states that the code on criminal trials will be passed by the Supreme Code.

The new code includes 17 clauses on procedures to keeping defendants in remand, issuing court orders, releasing suspects on bail, and habeus corpus writs.

The code only extends to the Criminal Court, despite trials over criminal matters being carried out in other courts. The Drug Court and the Juvenile Court are exempt from the code.

The Criminal Procedure Act was passed in 2016.