Macaulay’s Draft Penal Code of 1837

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Macaulay’s Draft Penal Code of 1837 is the foundational legal draft that formed the basis of the modern Indian Penal Code, aiming to systematically codify criminal law in British India.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical legal document
legal code
penal code draft
aimedTo codify criminal law in British India
create a uniform criminal code
replace diverse customary and religious criminal laws
appliesToJurisdiction British India NERFINISHED
basisFor Indian Penal Code NERFINISHED
chairOfDraftingBody Thomas Babington Macaulay NERFINISHED
characteristic attempt to reduce judicial discretion
emphasis on clarity and precision of legal language
systematic arrangement of offences and punishments
commissionedBy Government of British India NERFINISHED
contains classification of offences
general explanations and definitions of offences
provisions on attempt and abetment
provisions on criminal liability
provisions on general exceptions
provisions on punishment
countryOfOrigin British India NERFINISHED
dateDrafted 1837
documentForm draft bill
draftedBy First Law Commission of India NERFINISHED
followedBy Indian Penal Code NERFINISHED
hasAlternativeName Draft Indian Penal Code of 1837 NERFINISHED
Macaulay’s Draft Code NERFINISHED
hasAuthor Thomas Babington Macaulay NERFINISHED
hasContributor Indian Law Commission NERFINISHED
hasLegacy influence on criminal codes in several Commonwealth jurisdictions
long-term influence on criminal law in India
historicalPeriod British colonial period in India NERFINISHED
influenced Indian Penal Code NERFINISHED
inspiredBy Benthamite utilitarian legal philosophy
English criminal law
intendedAudience legislators and courts in British India
language English
legalDomain criminal law
legalStatus draft
partOf codification of laws in British India
presentedTo Council of the Governor-General of India NERFINISHED
relatedTo Law Commission of 1834 NERFINISHED
codification movement in the British Empire
subjectOf debates on colonial legal reform
scholarship on codification of criminal law in India
typeOfCodification comprehensive criminal code
yearDrafted 1837

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First Law Commission for India notableWork Macaulay’s Draft Penal Code of 1837