Sources of Criminal Law: Indian Evidence Act

Indian Evidence Act is a primary source of Criminal Law in India. It is an Act of the Parliament of India that determines the admissibility of evidence in the Indian courts of law. It provides a set of rules and guidelines that must be followed during the trial of a criminal case.

Importance of Indian Evidence Act in Criminal Law

The Indian Evidence Act is important in criminal law because it:
- Determines what evidence can be presented in court and how it can be presented
- Ensures that the evidence presented in court is reliable and trustworthy
- Protects the rights of the accused and the prosecution by setting out clear rules for evidence presentation
- Provides clear guidelines for the admission of electronic evidence
- Determines the burden of proof in criminal cases

Sections of Indian Evidence Act relevant to Criminal Law

Some of the sections of the Indian Evidence Act that are relevant to criminal law include:
- Section 3: Interpretation Clause
- Section 4: May Presume
- Section 5: Evidence may be given of facts in issue and relevant facts
- Section 6: Relevancy of facts forming part of same transaction
- Section 7: Facts which are the occasion, cause or effect of facts in issue
- Section 8: Motive, preparation and previous or subsequent conduct
- Section 9: Facts necessary to explain or introduce a fact in issue
- Section 10: Things said or done by conspirator in reference to common design
- Section 11: When facts not otherwise relevant become relevant
- Section 24: Confession caused by inducement, threat or promise, when irrelevant in criminal proceedings
- Section 25: Confession to police officer not to be proved
- Section 26: Confession by accused while in custody of police not to be proved against him
- Section 27: How much of information received from accused may be proved
- Section 28: Confession made after removal of impression caused by inducement, threat or promise, relevant
- Section 29: Confession otherwise relevant not to become irrelevant because of promise of secrecy, etc.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Indian Evidence Act is a crucial source of criminal law in India. It provides clear guidelines for the admissibility of evidence in criminal cases and ensures that the evidence presented in court is reliable and trustworthy. The sections of the Act that are relevant to criminal law outline the rules and guidelines that must be followed during the trial of a criminal case, and determine the burden of proof in criminal cases.