Meaning of Criminal Law

Criminal law:

Criminal law concerned with  the system of legal rules that define what conduct is classified as a crime and how the government may prosecute individuals that commit crimes. Individuals who violates federal, state and local laws may face fines probation or incarceration mentioned in the criminal law.

Meaning of Criminal Law:

Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. Crimes are generally referred to as offences against the state.
Criminal law, is the termed as Penal law, encompasses the rules written by state. Many laws are enforced by threat  of criminal punishment. Indian criminal laws are divided into three major acts, i.e. Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of criminal Procedure, 1973 and Indian evidence act, 1872. Besides these major acts, special criminal laws are also passed by Indian Parliament i.e. Narcotic Drugs and psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS), prevention of Corruption Act, Food Adulteration Act, Dowry Prevention Act, the Defence of India Act  etc and thousands of minor laws are made in India.
The Indian penel code  (IPC) is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The code was drafted in 1860 on the recommendations of first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter act of 1833 under the chairmanship of Thomas Babington Macaulay. It came into force in the British India during the early British Raj period in 1862.
The Indian Evidence act, identification as Act no. 1 of 1872 and called the Indian Evidence act,1872.
The code of criminal procedure (CrPC) is the main legislation on procedure for administration of substantive Criminal law in India.
It was enacted in 1973 and came into force on 1st April, 1974.
It provides the machinery for the investigation of crime, apprehension of   suspected criminals, collection of evidence, determination of guilt or innocence of the accused person and the determination of punishment of the guilty.