Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Criminal Law II)
“Procedure is the handmaid of justice — the BNSS exists to ensure that the substantive criminal law is enforced fairly, swiftly and without abuse of power.” — the purpose of criminal procedure
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (in force 1 July 2024) replaces the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. It governs the machinery of criminal justice — from the registration of an FIR, through investigation, arrest, bail, charge and trial, to judgment, sentencing and appeal. The KSLU Criminal Law II paper pairs the BNSS with two welfare statutes: the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958.
Unit Coverage
| Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
| Unit I — Introduction, FIR, Investigation & Arrest | Functionaries & hierarchy of criminal courts, cognizable vs non-cognizable offences, FIR & Zero FIR (S.173), the Lalita Kumari mandate, investigation, arrest (Ss.35–62) & Arnesh Kumar, D.K. Basu safeguards |
| Unit II — Pre-Trial Process & Commencement | Cognizance & complaint, charge & joinder of charges, bail, anticipatory bail (S.482), default bail (S.187), limitation & condonation (S.519) |
| Unit III — Trial Process | Sessions, warrant & summons trials, summary trials, plea bargaining, double jeopardy (S.337), maintenance of wives/children/parents (S.144), public nuisance & preventive provisions |
| Unit IV — Miscellaneous Procedure | Judgment, the sentencing hearing, disposal of property, compensation, appeals, reference & revision, execution of sentences & delay in death sentences |
| Unit V — Juvenile Justice & Probation | JJ Act 2015 — child in conflict with law, the Juvenile Justice Board, bail (S.12), heinous offences & the 16–18 transfer; Probation of Offenders Act 1958 — admonition (S.3), probation (S.4), breach |
Note: Fully updated to the BNSS 2023 with the new section numbering throughout, replacing the CrPC 1973.
Download the BNSS (Criminal Law II) Complete Bundle + Question Bank — ₹199 — the full study notes plus a Question Bank of model answers (essays + 40+ solved problems) for every previously-asked KSLU question, mapped to the new BNSS sections: PYQ-mapped topics, charts, case-law tables, 16-mark essay blueprints and solved IRAC problems for all 5 units.
🆓 Free sample: Download Unit 1 (free PDF)