Criminal Procedure Code · 2021 Revised Edition · Chapter XVIII
152. Form of charge
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
Every charge under this Code shall state the offence with which the accused is charged.
offence
"offence" means any act or omission made punishable by any other written law for the time being in force…
If the law which creates the offence gives it any specific name, the offence may be described in the charge by that name only.
If the law which creates the offence does not give it any specific name, so much of the definition of the offence must be stated as to give the accused notice of the matter with which he is charged.
The law and section of the law against which the offence is said to have been committed shall be mentioned in the charge.
The fact that the charge is made is equivalent to a statement that every legal condition required by law to constitute the offence charged was fulfilled in the particular case.
Illustrations
A is charged with the murder of B. This is equivalent to a statement that A's act fell within the definition of murder given in sections 299 and 300 of the Penal Code
(Chapter 22); that it did not fall within any of the general exceptions of the same Code and that it did not fall within any of the five exceptions to section 300, or that if it did fall within exception one, one or other of the three provisos to that exception applied to it.
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A is charged under section 326 of the Penal Code (Chapter 22) with voluntarily causing grievous hurt to B by means of an instrument for shooting. This is equivalent to a statement that the case was not vrovided for by section 335 of the Penal Code (Chavter 22)
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and that the general exceptions did not apply to it.
A is accused of murder, cheating, theft, extortion, criminal intimidation, or using a false property mark. The charge may state that A committed murder or cheating, theft, extortion or criminal intimidation or that he used a false property mark without reference to the definitions of those crimes contained in the Penal Code (Chapter 22); but the sections under which the offence is punishable must in each instance be referred to in the charge.
A is charged under section 184 of the Penal Code (Chapter 22) with intentionally obstructing a sale of property offered for sale by the lawful authority of a public servant.
The charge should be in those words.
Terms defined in this Act
offence
Defined · s 2"offence" means any act or omission made punishable by any other written law for the time being in force…
reference
Defined · s 405"reference" means a reference of a point of law to the Court of Appeal under this Chapter. Reference to Court of Appeal 406.
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Chapter X H
Chapter XX
Chapter XXI
Chapter XXII
Chapter XX7I1
Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXV
Chapter XXVII
Part 7
Chapter XXLX
Part 8
Part 9
Chapter XXXVI
Chapter XL
Chapter XLI
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