How to Frame a Charge (under Penal Code and Criminal Minor Acts)

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Description
Judges and Magistrates in our country derive authority from a demo- cratic substratum, enshrined in the Constitution but like every other wings, the Judicature-a national institution serving the people, in the matter of recruitment of its functionaries, their job-performance and the day-to-day decision-making-has no participation of the people and now with the advent of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973, and the resultant abolition of the Jury System, the first and the last and the least of such people's involvement, that ever was, is no more and the people and their so-called peers have just no links to communicate with each other. The author is no votary of the Jury System or the People's Court or the election of the judges and other officers, but the point sought to be highlighted is that since the Parliament in their wisdom, have now deemed proper to repose a tremendous confidence in the trial judge (and the Magistrate) by clothing him with unfettered authority, shorn of all popular control, does it not put a heavy premium on judicial learning, training and experience, so that justice is not rendered dependant on the whims, caprices and prejudices, if any, of an individual? In the matter of criminal trials, a practice seems to be on the increase among the trial courts to delegate the framing of charge to public prosecutors and readers of the court, and the author has, more than once, even come across blank documents on which signatures and thumb-marks of the accused persons had been obtained and the author was given to learn that the document was supposed to contain "the charge" to be filled in by the Presiding Officer, at any time convenient to him.
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Contents
1.    The Theory Behind Charge Framing  
2.    From Concept to the Mundane  
3.    Joinder and Misjoinder of Charges and Clubbing of Cases
4.    Charges Before Magistrates  
5.    Charge Before the Court of Session  
6.    The Crucial Steps  model charges
7.     I. Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904  
        II. Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,1958
       III. Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1971  
8.    Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982.
9.    Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981   .
10.    Arms Act, 1959  
11.    Atomic Energy Act, 1962, 
12.    Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988
13.    Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1886
14.    Boilers Act, I9Z3  
15.    Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976  
16.    Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995
17.    Chit Funds Act, I98z 
18.   Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of
        Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce,
         Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2.003
19.    Contempt of Courts Act, 1971
20.    Copyright Act, 1957   
21.    Customs Act, 1962,
22.    Depositories Act, 1996   
23.    Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961  
24.    Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940
25.   Electricity Act, 1910
26.   Electricity Act, 1003  
27.    Emigration Act, 1983 
28.    Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
29.    Essential Commodities Act, 1955
30.    Explosive Substances Act, 1908
31.    Food Safety and Standards Act, 2,006  
32.    Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976
33.    Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973   
34.    Foreign Marriage Act, 1969
35.    Foreigners Act, 1946  
36.    Forest Act, 192,7
37.    Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952
38.    Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956  
39.   Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act,1986 
40.   Infant Milk Substitutes, Feeding-Bottles and Infant
        Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 1992  
41.    Insecticides Act, 1968   
42.    Information Technology Act, zooo 
43.    Legal Metrology Act, 2.009  
44.    Lotteries (Regulation) Act, 1998  
45.    Motor Vehicles Act, 1988   
46.    Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
47.    Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881  
48.    Official Secrets Act, 1913
49.    Penal Code,1860
50.    Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991  
51.   Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques
        (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994
52.    Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 
53.    Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984   
54.    Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954  
55.    Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2.002,  
56.    Post Office Act, 1898  
57.    Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, zoo6   
58.    Railways Act, 1989  
59.    Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966  
60.   Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes
        (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989  
61.   State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act, 2oo5   
62.   Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Maritime
         Navigation and Fixed Platforms on Continental Shelf Act, 2002,
63.   Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act,1987  
64.   Trade Marks Act, 1999  
65.   Transplantation of. Human Organs and Tissues Act,1994    
66.   Wild Life (Protection) Act, I97Z  
Appendix—Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 Subject Index.
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Author Details
D.P. Varshni
M.L.Singhal