IPC Indian Penal Code - 1860 1.10.0

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) serves as the primary criminal code in India, encompassing a broad spectrum of substantive facets within criminal law. Originating in 1860 under the guidance of the inaugural Law Commission of India established in 1834, stipulated by the Charter Act of 1833 with Thomas Babington Macaulay at the helm, this code was brought into effect during the initial years of the British Raj era in 1862. Notwithstanding, its jurisdiction did not extend automatically to the Princely states, each governed by its unique courts and legal frameworks until the 1940s. Through subsequent revisions and additions, the IPC now operates alongside supplementary criminal provisions.

Succeeding the division of the British Indian Empire, the Indian Penal Code was passed down to its successor societies, namely the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan, where it functions independently as the Pakistan Penal Code. Likewise, the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) enforced in Jammu and Kashmir is rooted in this foundational law. Despite the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, this code continues to be enforced there as well. The code was also taken on by British colonial authorities in Colonial Burma, Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), the Straits Settlements (now part of Malaysia), Singapore, and Brunei, forming the basis for their respective criminal statutes.

The primary goal set forth by this act is to offer a comprehensive penal code for India. While not initially intended, this Act does not abrogate pre-existing penal legislation upon its enactment in India. This decision was predicated on potential oversights within the initial code concerning offenses that warranted penal consequences but were unaddressed. Although this Code is all-encompassing in consolidating laws pertaining to specific topics and is exhaustive in those areas it governs explicitly, numerous additional penal statutes have been established alongside it to regulate diverse offenses.

Comprising twenty-three chapters and a total of five hundred and eleven sections, the Indian Penal Code of 1860 commences with an introductory segment, incorporates explanations and exceptions pertinent to its application, and spans a wide array of offenses.