Fast Track Courts — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
Criminal Law Amendment 2018	2018	The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018 strengthened deadlines in the former CrPC framework. Section 16 expanded the sexual offences covered by section 309(1) and removed its “as far as possible” qualification. The proviso required completion of the inquiry or trial within two months of filing the charge sheet. Separately, section 14 amended section 173(1A): investigation of the specified offences was to finish within two months. Sections 20–21 added six-month disposal periods for specified sentencing appeals, counted from filing the appeal.	A fast-track justice answer should distinguish three stages: investigation, inquiry or trial, and appeal. Their clocks start at different events; a two-month trial period does not start with the police complaint. The amendment strengthened procedural timelines but did not itself establish or staff every Fast Track Court. Assess judges, prosecutors, forensic support and witness attendance separately from the statutory deadline. This is a historical explanation of the 2018 changes to the CrPC and IPC framework, not a statement that those old section numbers govern every new proceeding.