IPC Section 1
Section 1 of the Indian Penal Code: Title and Extent of Operation
1. Title of the Code
The first part of Section 1 states:
“This Act shall be called the Indian Penal Code.”
This means the legislation is officially named the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The IPC is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law in India.
2. Extent of Operation
The second part says:
“It extends to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.”
This means that, at the time the code was enacted, the IPC was applicable throughout British India and, after independence, the Republic of India, except Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir had its own legal code under Article 370, which gave it special autonomy, and so the IPC did not automatically apply there.
Note: Since August 2019, after the abrogation of Article 370, the Indian Penal Code now applies to Jammu and Kashmir as well.
3. Commencement
The third part says:
“It shall come into force on the first day of January 1862.”
This tells us the date when the IPC became effective as the criminal law of India.
The IPC was drafted in 1860 by the first Law Commission of India under the Chairmanship of Thomas Babington Macaulay.
It came into force on January 1, 1862, replacing earlier fragmented criminal laws and regulations.
Summary and Importance
Section 1 formally introduces the Indian Penal Code as the primary criminal code for India.
It clarifies the geographical scope and the date from which the law became effective.
This section is crucial because it establishes the IPC’s authority and jurisdiction.
The IPC is one of the oldest and most important legal documents in India, forming the foundation for the country's criminal law.
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