Legal Systems
Indian Legal System
Also Known As Law of India
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India's contemporary legal system emerged from a decisive break imposed by British colonial rule: from the early nineteenth century, codification progressively replaced Hindu and Islamic law with British common law for most civil and criminal matters, while distinct personal-status statutes for Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Parsi communities were preserved alongside it. The Constitution of India, adopted on 26 January 1950 and, at 470 articles and 12 schedules, the longest written national constitution in the world, now sits atop a framework that blends common law precedent, codified statutes such as the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Contract Act (1872), customary law and religious personal law.
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Example Jurisdictions Primary Source of LawThe Constitution of India (1950), together with inherited British common law precedent and codified statutes such as the Indian Penal Code and the Indian Contract Act (1872). 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
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