<h1>Companies Act Amended: 16 Offences Decriminalized, 23 Re-Categorized for In-House Adjudication, Penalties Reduced for 6 Provisions.</h1> The Companies (Amendment) Act, 2019, amended the Companies Act, 2013, to convert 16 criminal offences into civil wrongs, as announced by a government official. A Company Law Committee was established to further decriminalize provisions based on their severity, aiming to ease corporate operations. The Committee recommended changes to 43 penal provisions, including re-categorizing 23 offences for in-house adjudication, omitting 7 offences, limiting punishment for 11 offences to fines, and suggesting alternative frameworks for 5 offences. The amendments also propose reducing penalties for 6 provisions while retaining the status quo for non-compoundable offences.