Book Review – Ratanlal And Dhirajlal CrPC 22nd Edition – Revised by Justice CK Prasad & Namit Saxena

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is a vehicle for dispensation of justice with its applicability ranging from trial courts to the Supreme Court.

It has continuously evolved through legislative amendments as well as judicial interpretations over the years to accept its present form.

Ratanlal and Dhirajlal’s commentary on the Code of Criminal Procedure is a legal classic that has served the legal fraternity for almost a century by simplifying technical rules of procedure and complex legal issues.

The commentary has throughout been written lucidly and carries section-wise discussions, which places it amongst the most authoritative and leading commentaries on the law of Criminal Procedure in India.

The instant edition has been revised and updated by Justice CK Prasad, a retired judge of the Supreme Court and currently the chairperson of the Press Council of India, and Mr. Namit Saxena, advocates practicing before the Supreme Court in criminal law.

The forthcoming edition of this leading work has been painstakingly drafted to include the latest cases, legislative amendments, current developments and evolving judicial trends in the law relating to criminal procedure.

Legislative changes over the years have been incorporated and supplanted with latest judgments of the higher courts.

Justice BS Chauhan, a retired judge of the Supreme Court and currently chairperson of the Law Commission of India, has been pleased to write a beautifully-worded foreword highlighting the significance of the current edition. Authenticity, originality and reliability have always been the hallmarks of this publication and every possible care has been taken in this edition to maintain the original excellence, style and quality of the work.

The endeavour of the authors and the publisher is that the current edition proves to be beneficial and offers great help to readers (students and professionals) in learning and updating procedural aspects of criminal law in India. The current edition is also supplemented with a quick overview in the form of a summary at the end of the work for a sharp and prompt understanding of the subject. Running to just over 1,350 pages and divided chapter-wise and section-wise, covering all sections and schedule, the book is available at a decent and affordable price at INR 845/- and has been published by Lexis Nexis India, which is a brand name in the field of publishing law books.

The book is flawless and neat. Quality-wise and quantity-wise, it is extremely useful, a must-keep in the shelf and a must-read for professionals, students and academicians interested in comprehending the procedural criminal law.