Short Essay on the Criminal Laws in India – Without peace and security no development or prosperity is possible. Sense of security in the masses is a must.
Criminal Law makes sure that the destructive elements of the society are kept in check and those who cross the line are duly punished.
The basic development of present criminal law started at the time of East India Company. The East India Company was accorded the necessary powers by Elizabeth-I, the Queen in the year 1600.
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This was the beginning of the criminal law and criminal justice system in India. After this, several charters were enacted for proper administration of criminal justice. And it made Lord Warren Hastings establish Fauzdari Adalats for trial of criminal offences at district levels.
Thereafter, a number of legislations were brought and Acts were amended from time to time and Lord Macaulay codified the criminal law of India on the basis of uniformity.
The Indian Penal Code consists of 511 sections in 23 Chapters. However, the Code has no application in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, which has a much similar Code called the Ranbir Penal Code.
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The main purpose of criminal law is to punish offenders and thereby to prevent lawlessness and crime.
The Criminal Procedure Code, in its present form was codified in the year 1973 and provides for the procedure for the enforcement of the Indian Penal Code, and deals with cognizable, non-cognizable offences along with the criminal court systems and the procedure of appeal from lower courts to the higher ones right up to the Supreme Court. Besides this, the Law of Evidence in India stands codified in the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
The Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act and the Criminal Procedure Code, collectively are the major criminal laws prevailing in India.
Besides these, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act etc. are the criminal acts which were developed at a later stage due to the increase in particular kinds of crime.