Law is broadly divided into two categories: Public Law and Private Law

The three new criminal laws (effective July 2024)

India replaced its colonial-era criminal laws with three new codes in 2024:

Key criminal law concepts everyone should know

• FIR (First Information Report) — you have the RIGHT to file an FIR for a cognisable offence. Police cannot refuse to register it. If they refuse, complain to the Superintendent of Police or file a complaint in court directly.
• Bail — your right to temporary release while trial is pending. Bailable offences: bail is a right. Non-bailable offences: bail is at court's discretion.
• Right to legal counsel — under Article 22 of the Constitution, every arrested person has the right to be defended by a lawyer of their choice. If you cannot afford one, the state must provide legal aid (Legal Aid Board).
• Presumption of innocence — you are innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
• Section 302 BNS (murder) — death or life imprisonment. Intention and knowledge are key elements.
• Section 318 BNS (cheating) — deceiving someone to deliver property or do an act. Common in online fraud cases.

What to do if you are wrongly accused

1. Do NOT panic or make statements without a lawyer present
2. Contact a criminal lawyer immediately
3. Apply for anticipatory bail if you fear arrest
4. Preserve all evidence in your favour (messages, documents, witnesses)
5. Remember: you have the right to remain silent — you cannot be compelled to be a witness against yourself (Article 20)

Contract Law — Indian Contract Act 1872

A valid contract requires: offer + acceptance + consideration + free consent + capacity + lawful object. All six must be present. If any is absent, the contract is void or voidable.

• Free consent — consent obtained by coercion, undue influence, fraud, misrepresentation, or mistake is not free consent → contract is voidable at the affected party's option
• Consideration — something of value must be exchanged. A promise to do something for nothing is generally not enforceable (gift vs contract)
• Breach of contract — if one party fails to perform, the other can sue for: damages (compensation), specific performance (court orders the party to perform), or rescission (cancel the contract)

Property Law — what every buyer must know

• Sale Agreement vs Sale Deed — sale agreement is a PROMISE to sell. Sale Deed (registered) is the ACTUAL transfer. Never pay the full amount on a sale agreement alone.
• Registration — the Sale Deed must be registered at the Sub-Registrar's office. Unregistered sale deeds are inadmissible as evidence of transfer.
• Encumbrance certificate — check that the property has no loans, mortgages, or legal disputes. Get this from the Sub-Registrar's office before buying.
• RERA (Real Estate Regulation Act 2016) — protects home buyers from builder fraud. Builders must register projects with RERA. File complaints at your state RERA if builder delays or misrepresents.

Family Law — marriage, divorce, inheritance

India has personal laws based on religion plus secular laws:

Your rights as an employee — India

The four Labour Codes (2019-2020) consolidate 29 existing labour laws but are being implemented gradually. Until then, the old laws apply:

• Payment of Gratuity Act 1972 — after 5 continuous years with one employer, you are entitled to gratuity. Formula: (Last basic salary × 15 × Years) ÷ 26. This is a legal right, not a bonus. Employer must pay within 30 days of resignation.
• EPF Act 1952 — 12% of basic salary contributed by you and 12% by employer to your PF account. Check your UAN on the EPFO portal. Employer must deposit monthly — failure is a criminal offence.
• Industrial Disputes Act 1947 — governs retrenchment (layoff), closure, strikes. Employer cannot retrench 100+ employees without government permission. 30 days notice and retrenchment compensation (15 days wages per year) required.
• POSH Act 2013 (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) — every organisation with 10+ employees must have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). File complaints within 3 months of incident.
• Maternity Benefit Act 1961 — 26 weeks paid maternity leave for organisations with 10+ employees. Cannot be terminated during maternity leave.

Employment contract — what to read before signing

• Notice period — typically 30-90 days in IT. Must serve or buy out. If employer terminates without cause, they pay notice pay.
• Non-compete clause — widely used in India but largely unenforceable for employees. Courts protect the right to work. However, NDA (non-disclosure) IS enforceable.
• Moonlighting clause — know what your contract says before taking side projects.
• Garden leave — some companies require you to serve notice at home (not working) — they still must pay full salary.

Protecting your creative and inventive work

Software and IP — what tech professionals must know

• Code is copyright — your code is automatically protected by copyright from the moment you write it. Copying another's code without licence is infringement.
• Open source licences matter — using GPL code in your commercial software requires you to open-source your code. MIT and Apache 2.0 licences are more permissive.
• Work for hire — code you write as an employee typically belongs to your employer (check your employment agreement's IP assignment clause).
• Software patents — India does not allow pure software patents (Section 3(k) of Patents Act). But algorithms with technical application may qualify.

India's digital law framework

• IT Act 2000 (amended 2008) — India's primary cyber law. Covers: electronic contracts, digital signatures, cybercrime offences, data protection (Section 43A), interception and surveillance powers.
• DPDP Act 2023 (Digital Personal Data Protection Act) — India's comprehensive data privacy law. Key rights: right to know what data is collected, right to correction, right to erasure, right to grievance redressal. Companies must get explicit consent before processing personal data.
• Cybercrime offences under IT Act: Section 66 — computer-related offences (hacking). Section 66C — identity theft (3 years + ₹1 lakh fine). Section 66D — cheating by impersonation using computer (3 years). Section 66E — violation of privacy. Section 67 — publishing obscene material.

Reporting cybercrime in India

• Portal: cybercrime.gov.in — file online complaints for all cyber offences
• Helpline: 1930 — national cybercrime helpline, available 24/7
• For financial fraud: call your bank immediately, then call 1930 within 24 hours for best chance of recovery
• Local cyber police station: for serious offences like cyberstalking, sextortion, identity theft

If you are studying law, this platform gives you

A practical, structured overview of all major areas of Indian law with real-world applications. Most law textbooks cover doctrine; this section connects doctrine to real scenarios that matter in practice.

Career paths in law

Key Indian law exams and bodies

• CLAT — Common Law Admission Test for NLU admissions
• AIBE — All India Bar Examination (must pass after LLB to practice)
• Judicial Services exam — each state conducts its own for district judge positions
• SEBI, RBI, Competition Commission — regulatory bodies that hire law graduates