Criminal Justice Tenets of Manusmriti- A Critique of the Ancient Hindu Code

The Manusmriti is the Hindu code of ancient India, which dealt with the relationships between social and ethnic groups, between men and women, the organization of the state and the judicial system, reincarnation, the workings of karma, and all aspects of the law. Even after several centuries, it still generates controversy, with Manu's verses being cited in support of the oppression of women and members of the oppressed castes. A few chapters of Manusmriti deal with crime, justice, and punishment. The criminal justice system in ancient India was found to be based on the Varna system and the Manusmriti defined crime and punishment for each Varna in a hierarchical mode. This paper is a critical analysis of the criminal justice tenets found in the code.

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