What is the main objective of the Criminal Procedure Code?

• A. To regulate the investigation, prosecution, and trial of offenses while protecting the rights of individuals and ensuring fair justice.
• B. To establish penalties for all crimes.
• C. To manage police personnel and budgets.
• D. To dictate procedures for civil lawsuits.

Answer: (B)

The main idea behind the Criminal Procedure Code is to provide the procedural framework for handling crimes—from investigation to trial—while safeguarding due process and fair justice for everyone involved. It lays out how police should conduct investigations, how cases are charged and tried, what rights the accused has (such as the presumption of innocence and access to counsel), and how evidence is gathered and presented. It also defines the roles of police, prosecutors, and courts, and the steps from arrest and bail to trial and appeals, ensuring the process is orderly, timely, and just.

This focus on process and fairness is what makes the description that emphasizes regulating investigation, prosecution, and trial with protection of individual rights and fair justice the best fit. The other options describe roles or ends that fall outside the CrPC’s procedural scope: penalties are set by substantive criminal law, administrative management of police is an internal function, and civil lawsuits follow civil procedure.