CLAT Notes | What is Criminal Law?

Have you ever wondered what happens when someone breaks the law? Or how the justice system works to keep us safe? 

Criminal law is an important branch of the legal system that deals with crimes and their consequences. 

This article will explore the basics of criminal law, different types of crimes and how Indian law addresses them. So, let’s dive in and discover the fascinating world of criminal law!

Meaning of Criminal Law

Criminal law is a set of rules that tells us what actions are considered crimes and what happens to people who commit them. It’s all about keeping society safe and ensuring everyone follows the rules.

Maintaining Order and Protecting People

The main goal of criminal law is to keep things in order and protect people and their things. When someone breaks the rules, they hurt not just one person but the whole society.

Different Crimes, Different Punishments

Criminal law has a lot of different crimes, like murder (hurting someone badly), theft (taking something that isn’t yours), assault (hurting someone without killing them) and drug trafficking (selling illegal drugs).

Each crime has its punishment, which can be going to jail, paying money (fines), doing community service or following rules set by the court (probation).

Proving Guilt

When someone is accused of a crime, the people trying to prove they did it (prosecutors) must show that they’re guilty “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

This means they must provide strong evidence that the person did the crime. This is important to make sure that innocent people don’t get punished.

Rights of the Accused

People who are accused of crimes have rights too. They have the right to get a lawyer to help them, the right to be considered innocent until proven guilty and the right to a fair trial.

These rights are important to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to defend themselves.

Different from Civil Law

Criminal law is different from another type of law called civil law. Civil law deals with problems between individuals or groups, such as arguments over money or property.

Criminal law is about crimes against the whole society, where the state (government) acts on behalf of everyone to make sure justice is served.

Conclusion

Criminal law is about keeping society safe and ensuring people who do bad things face consequences for their actions. It has rules for different crimes and punishments and protects the rights of those accused of crimes.