| The Indian Penal Code, 1860 | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Imperial Legislative Council | |
| |
| Citation | Act No. 45 of 1860 |
| Territorial extent |  India |
| Enacted by | Imperial Legislative Council |
| Enacted | 6 October 1860 |
| Assented to | 6 October 1860 |
| Commenced | 1 January 1862 |
| Repealed | 1 July 2024 |
| Committee report | First Law Commission |
| Amended by | |
| see Amendments | |
| Repealed by | |
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita | |
| Related legislation | |
| Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 | |
| Status: Abrogated | |
The Indian Penal Code (IPC) was the official criminal code in the Republic of India, inherited from British India after independence, until it was repealed and replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in December 2023, which came into effect on 1 July 2024. It was a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The code was drafted on the recommendations of the first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act of 1833 under the chairmanship of Thomas Babington Macaulay.[1][2][3] It came into force in the subcontinent during the British rule in 1862. However, it did not apply automatically in the Princely states, which had their own courts and legal systems until the 1940s. While in force, the IPC was amended several times and was supplemented by other criminal provisions.
Despite promulgation of the BNS, litigation for all relevant offences committed before 1 July 2024 will continue to be registered under the IPC.[4]
- ^ Universal's Guide to Judicial Service Examination. Universal Law Publishing. p. 2. ISBN 978-93-5035-029-4.
- ^ Lal Kalla, Krishan (1985). The Literary Heritage of Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir: Mittal Publications. p. 75. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Law Commission of India - Early Beginnings". Law Commission of India. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
- ^ "Curtains on old IPC, CrPC, Evidence law, new criminal codes come into effect from today". The Indian Express. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.