CLAT aspirants are expected to have deep knowledge and understanding of the common points related to the law of India, and the various procedures and limitations related to it. Criminal Law or Law of Crimes makes up for a major part of the CLAT Syllabus. It is a part of the Legal Aptitude Section of the paper which comprises 50 questions in total.
What is a ‘crime’?
A crime is any activity that is deemed as ‘illegal’ under the law of a state or country. A crime is basically any action that is considered unacceptable by law, or omission of any action which a person is supposed to do as per orders by the law under the jurisdiction of his/her residence.
For certain actions that are considered unacceptable and grave as per the society, laws have been passed by the government to keep them in check and to punish the people who commit these crimes. This law is known as Criminal Law or the Law of Crimes.
The Law of Crimes is constituted of two parts:
- Substantive Law
This part of the Criminal Law states all the actions or omissions that are to be called ‘crimes’ under law as well as the punishments for them depending on the severity of the said crime. This part of the law is the Indian Penal Code,1860 (IPC).
- Procedural Law
As the title suggests, this part of the criminal law sets all the standard procedures from identifying, arresting, and trials of a convicted until he is finally punished or bailed by the courts. This part of the law is the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
Criminal Law in CLAT
As it is evident that the study of Criminal Law is very important for every Law aspirant since it forms the core of Law as a means of social and legal control on the citizens and their activities. Hence, this portion is covered thoroughly in CLAT Syllabus.
If you are a CLAT aspirant, you will need to study the following concepts of Criminal Law during your CLAT preparation to get a good grasp on it:
- Criminal Law for Mens Rea or Guilty Mind
- Criminal Law for Theft
- Criminal Law for Extortion
- Criminal Law for Cheating
- Criminal Law for Criminal Conspiracy
- Criminal Law for Kidnapping
- Criminal Law for Attempt to Commit Offences
- Criminal Law for Assault
- Criminal Law for Private Defence
- Criminal Law for Juvenile Crime
- Criminal Law for Intoxication
- Criminal Law for Crimes by people with unsoundness of Mind
Tips for preparing Criminal Law for CLAT
- Practice —
Practicing is the most important factor that determines the final score on your CLAT exam. It is crucial to practice previous year’s question papers to get a grasp on the type of questions that are asked in CLAT, as well as to build your speed and time management abilities for the same. The more you practice, the more confident you will be during your final CLAT exam.
- Be attentive —
Studies show that a lot of students answer the questions incorrectly because they do not read the questions carefully. When they don’t read it carefully, they either don’t understand it properly or misunderstand its meaning. Hence, you need to be very attentive while attempting your paper and read the question twice or thrice before answering.
- Stick to Logic —
While attempting the questions related to the Criminal Law, it is suggested that you stick to the logic and answer based on the principles of the law. Some questions have multiple answers which seem correct. But only one answer is correct which needs to be deduced according to the principles of Criminal Law. Be careful not to get confused.
- Make Flash Cards —
It is always easier to remember the various laws and sections of Law if you make it more fun. Make flashcards for each law and use them to revise again and again, until you can state them without taking much time. If you feel more passionate about studying this part, you can play a fun game with your fellow aspirants where you can show them the name of the Law on one side of the flashcard and then ask them to describe its use of sections.
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