• In the absence of effective enforcement machinery, the substantive Criminal Law which defines offences and provides punishments for them would be almost worthless. Therefore, the need for the Code of Criminal Procedure. The present course intends to acquaint the students with the various pre-judicial and judicial procedures. This course also includes the rights and duties of those proceeded against and the powers, duties, and restraints on those administering the criminal justice process.
• The course will tell the importance of a Fair Trial - constitutional perspectives of a fair trial: Articles 14, 20, 21, Section – 2: Definitions; classes of Criminal Courts: Sections 6 to 13 including their powers and jurisdiction. The organization of Police, Prosecutor, Defense Counsel, and Prison Authorities along with their duties, functions, and powers. FIR, Arrest, and Bail provisions, bonds, process to compel appearances and production of things, search and seizure – search warrants, search without warrants, police search during investigations, general principles of search, seizure, and constitutional aspects of validity of search and seizure proceedings. Form of Charge, joinder of charges, alteration of charge, basic rule regarding charge and its trial, withdrawal of charges, the effect of error in the charge. Language of Courts, decision on evidence partly recorded by one judge or magistrate and partly by another, summary procedure to deal with certain cases of perjury and certain kinds of contempt of court, evidence in inquiries and trials, general provisions as to inquiries and trials, provisions as to accused persons of unsound mind.

Jobs & Career Opportunities:

There is an ample number of job opportunities available for Criminal Lawyers. Some of the job roles are given in detail below: 

• Government Advocate: Government Advocates are the advocates who are hired by the state or by the central government to represent them in court cases. To become a Government Advocate, recruitment exams are conducted by UPSC and State Level Public Commission. Government Advocates are selected on the basis of the same to represent the government. The states are just like artificial people, so they also need someone to represent them in front of the court during any allegation against them. 
• Government Pleader: Government Pleader is an officer appointed by the State Government to perform all the functions imposed by the Code of Civil Procedure on the Government Pleader. The job role of the Government Pleader is to draft pleadings and pleads in the court of law on the behalf of the Government. 
• Public Prosecutor/ Additional Public Prosecutor: The main job role of the Public Prosecutor is to represent the case from the States-side (State Government) against the suspected criminal in a criminal case or in criminal prosecution. An additional Public Prosecutor is a part of the state’s judiciary and is in charge of litigation and all other procedures. 
• Criminal Law Practitioner: The job role of the Criminal Law Practitioner is to address key Criminal Law Issues in such a way that they are useful for lawyers, the judiciary and students. 
• Lecturer: A lecturer who specialises in Criminal Law will be responsible for teaching undergraduate/ postgraduate courses in Criminal law and its practices. A Criminal Law lecturer will be responsible to undertake and develop high-quality research and scholarly publishing. Lawyers who have an advanced qualification, relevant experience and research in Criminal Law usually become lecturers in their respective specialisations.