CLAT Application Date:01 Aug' 25 - 31 Oct' 25
In the words of the great jurist Blackstone, “ Crime is an act, committed or omitted in violation of a public law, either forbidding or commanding”.For the commission of crime, two major important ingredients are Mens rea and actus rea which means guilty, mind and physical act, respectively.
Criminal law is a fundamental branch of legal jurisprudence that governs the behaviour of individuals within a society and outlines the consequences for actions that are deemed harmful, threatening, or disruptive to the public order. It encompasses a set of rules and regulations established by a legal system to define criminal offences, establish penalties, and ensure justice is served. This section requires a combination of thorough understanding, critical thinking, and effective application of legal principles. With consistent practice and focused preparation, you can excel in the Criminal Law section of the CLAT exam.
As the new criminal law, a Justice system has been proposed in the names of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bhartiya Nyay Suraksha Sanhita, Bhartiya Sakshya Sanhita And applicable from July 1, 2024. These new laws will eradicate the earlier laws like IPC, CRPC and Indian Evidence Act, but the essence of crime is the same, even though the acts are centuries apart.
To practice more on criminal law questions for CLAT, students can download the Criminal Law for CLAT PDF, which comprises all the topics that need to be covered in the Criminal Law chapter, along with criminal law practice questions, a proper answer key, and detailed solutions. In addition, if students want to simulate the real exam conditions, they can solve the CLAT mock tests for effective preparation.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
It is seen that criminal law has been as repeatedly in the law examinations, majorly the culpable homicide and murder sections which are confusing and students need to put more heat on these two sections numbered 299, 300, 301, 304, 307, 324 et cetera. Criminal law is a major aspect to be asked. Solving a number of criminal law questions will be helpful for the preparation.
How to excel in criminal law questions for CLAT? Criminal law is dependent upon and strictly works under the parenthesis of the Essentials. Practice as many criminal law questions and answers for better conceptual clarity. Furthermore, kindly read the paragraph as an example question carefully and ensure the answers are marked concerning the essentials provided in the passage.
Given below are three passage-based criminal law questions for CLAT exam with detailed solution. These are the example questions which can help students better understand the questions that can be asked in the real examination.
Read the following passage and answer the question.
In criminal law, two essential elements namely, (a) the physical elements which are also known as actus reus, and (b) the mental element, commonly known as mens rea, are necessary to constitute a crime. Sir Mathew Hale in his book “History of Pleas of the Crown” stated, “where there is no will to commit an offence, there can be no just reason to incur the penalty”.
Mens Rea is known as an evil mind/will. In our routine day-to-day life, we are probably daily thinking of some evil act, most probable. Sometimes we think “I will hit him once”, “I have to kill him, this is my enemy I will kill him”, or “This is anti-social we must punish him”. We know that punishment is part of the Judiciary even though sometimes we are following our dreamy Judiciary, we are pronouncing one-sided judgments about anyone, and therefore we are giving them dreamy punishment.
Preparation is a very important factor of the Mens Rea. 'Preparation' means 'to arrange means or necessary measures for the commission of the crime'. Basically, the offence starts from here for which we get the punishment. While preparation for committing an offence is not generally deemed to be an offence but special variety of acts are defined to be offences although they may constitute preparation to commit those offences
'Attempt' is the third stage in the commission of a crime. It is also known as a 'Preliminary Crime'. The term 'Attempt' means “the direct movement towards the commission of a crime after necessary preparation has been made.” The Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of State of Maharashtra V/s Mohd. Yakub [(1980) 3SCC 57, 1980 SCC (cri.)513] has observed that an attempt to define the term 'attempt' is a futile exercise. The attempt stage is reached when the culprit takes deliberate overt steps to commit the offence, which need not be a penultimate act.
The fourth essential of crime is the 'Injury' to another person or society at large. Such injury must be illegally caused to a person. The word 'Injury' has been defined under Section 44 of the Indian Penal Code as "the word 'injury' denotes any harm whatever illegally caused to any person in body, mind, reputation or property".
Source: Dr Samir A. Runja, STAGES OF CRIME UNDER THE INDIAN PENAL CODE 1860.
Q1: X and Y enter into a fight, and after that, Y shouts that he will kill X. Decide.
Correct Option: C
Solution: As per Criminal law, the intention to commit an offence is not treated as actual committal of the event. Therefore, a person having a guilty intention to commit a crime cannot be prosecuted for the offence. Hence, (C) is the correct answer.
Q2: Mohan, who is a pickpocket, tries to steal from Raj’s pocket however, he finds out that Raj’s pocket is empty. Decide.
Correct Option: B
Solution: In this scenario, Mohan would be prosecuted for attempting to commit theft as he had a guilty intention to steal from Raj, and even attempted to do so. Therefore, Mohan would be prosecuted for attempted theft even if Raj’s pockets were empty. Hence (b) is the correct answer.
Q3: X with an intention to kill Y fires a bullet at him. Decide when the offence of attempt to murder was committed or when it would be committed.
Correct Option: A
Solution: One of the essentials of crime is injury, and the offence is complete when the other person is injured by the acts of the guilty person. However, for the offence of an attempt to murder, the act of firing with the intention to kill is sufficient to give rise to the liability. Hence (a) is the correct answer.
Q4: X administered poison pills to Y. But in actuality, the pills were only sugar balls. Decide culpability of X.
Correct Option: B
Solution: X will be held liable for the attempt to murder. Here even though the pills were only sugar pills and not poison but X did the act with guilty intention therefore he has done everything in his capacity to murder Y. The supervening circumstances were such that the actus reus is that of attempt only. Therefore, the correct option is (b)
Q5: Fatima with her infant child jumped into a well to hide from her cruel husband. Once Fatima ran the husband never chased her. The infant died but Fatima survived. Who is liable for the death of a child?
Correct Option: A
Solution: Here, Fatima is held liable for the death of an infant child because she had the knowledge that death might happen but she ran the risk of it. The husband could not be held liable because he never chased Fatima so Fatima could have hidden somewhere else too. Here even though Fatima intended to save the child but she knows that act of jumping into the well could be fatal. Hence, the correct option is (a).
Also, check - CLAT Previous Year Question Papers PDF
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
“In the beginning,” of course, crime and tort were not sharply distinguished. In early common law, a victim could pursue justice for the same wrongful act either through a forerunner of criminal law or through a forerunner of tort law. But over time, criminal law and tort law have evolved to encompass a number of distinctive and contrasting features. The state prosecutes violations of criminal law. Tort law typically requires harm as a prerequisite to a remedy. Criminal law does not. Specifically, criminal law punishes not only: (a) Acts that are harmful to others, but also, (b) Acts that are harmful only or mainly to the actor being punished; (c) Dangerous acts that have not yet caused harm; and (d) Acts that the community considers immoral, even if the acts are not "harmful" in the narrower sense of the term. By contrast, tort law mainly provides a remedy for harmful acts, not for acts that create risks of future harm, and not for acts that are considered immoral but not harmful. Criminal law, in theory at least, contains a proportionality principle, requiring that the punishment "fit" the crime. The tort remedy usually does not vary with the culpability of the injurer. Suppose, in three separate incidents, injurers A, B, and C cause precisely the same harm to their respective automobile accident victims; but A is strictly liable for a manufacturing flaw in the automobile, a flaw that could not have been prevented by due care; while B is negligent for momentarily taking his eyes off the road; and C is negligent for dangerously passing another car on a busy highway. A, B, and C will pay precisely the same damages.
Thus, the requisite culpable state of mind in criminal law ranges from strict liability to negligence to recklessness to knowledge to purpose, with punishment varying according to that mens rea. (The multiple degrees and categories of homicide are the best example of this range.) And the conduct or social harm element also ranges enormously. By contrast, most tort law is governed by a negligence standard. There are relatively few categories of intentional torts and even fewer categories of recklessness and strict liability.
Q1: The Law of torts and crimes consists of many offences which are the same in substance. However, what is the key difference between offences governed by the two?
Correct Option: A
Solution: A victim's consent is neither necessary nor sufficient for a prosecution to be brought under criminal law. In tort law, by contrast, the victim decides whether to bring a tort claim and is free to choose not to do so. This structural difference is sometimes given a more substantive gloss: criminal law prohibits "public" wrongs and tort law "private" wrongs. Criminal law often imposes much more severe sanctions than tort law, of course: loss of liberty or even of life. So the procedural protections in criminal law obviously are much more extensive and (in theory at least) a much greater barrier to liability. Punishment should be proportional to the culpability of the actor and the seriousness of the harm or wrong he has committed or threatened. But tort law does not purport to provide remedies proportional to the injurer's wrong. Therefore, the correct option is (a) A victim’s consent is necessary for the prosecution under criminal law while the same is not mandatory under tort law.
Q2: Identify the correct option for the following two statements of Assertion (A) and Reasoning (R).
Assertion (A): Criminal law contains some doctrines of strict liability with respect to the grade of the offence.
Reasoning (R): It recognises such strict liability doctrines as liability for abnormally dangerous activities.
Correct Option: C
Solution: Criminal law requires a greater minimal level of fault before liability will be imposed than does tort law. This is a very crude generalisation, with many exceptions. Criminal law does contain some doctrines of strict liability, especially with respect to the grade of the offence (e.g., the reasonable mistake is no defence if it only goes to the number of illegal drugs that the actor possesses or to the value of the goods that he has stolen) and also with respect to mistake or ignorance of law, where even reasonable mistake or reasonable ignorance is normally no defence. Tort law recognizes such strict liability doctrines as liability for abnormally dangerous activities, for manufacturing defects in products, and for wild animals. Therefore, the second statement is incorrect. Hence c) is the right answer.
Q3: Which of the following factors are considered in criminal law which makes it to retain a broader spectrum of culpability than the tort law?
Correct Option: Both (a) and (b)
Solution: Criminal law contains a much broader spectrum of fault or culpability than does tort law. The spectrum is wider along two dimensions: the state of mind, or mens rea, element and the conduct, or social harm, element. Therefore, the correct option is (c) Both (a) and (b).
Q4: As per the economists, which of the following is fundamentally recognized in criminal law than tort law?
Correct Option: A
Solution: Tort law also pervasively imposes strict liability in the form of vicarious liability, especially the liability of employers for the tortious acts of their employees. More fundamentally, criminal law targets conduct that is impermissible. Or, as economists might say, the optimal incidence of criminal conduct is zero. But tort law sometimes creates liability for perfectly permissible conduct, conduct that we would not want to preclude. As Robert Cooter put it, criminal law exclusively imposes sanctions, while tort law sometimes prices an activity. Furthermore, criminal law pays much less attention to the victim's conduct than does tort law. Therefore, the correct option is (a).
Q5: Which of the following is correct about the difference between criminal law and tort law?
Correct Option: B
Solution: Criminal law is statutory. The doctrine of common-law crimes is largely defunct. By contrast, tort law remains mainly a set of common-law, judge-made doctrines (although the statutory overlay is increasing). Criminal law, not the tort law includes many so-called victimless crimes, that is, crimes in which both of the immediate parties to the transaction consent, such as prostitution, gambling, and drug distribution. Criminal law tends to produce more detailed specifications of wrongful behaviour than tort law, which, in important domains (especially negligence), creates liability standards that are maddeningly vague. Therefore, the correct option is (b).
Also, check - CLAT Legal Reasoning Questions with Answer
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
In the case of Bachcha Son Of Maheshwari Deen ... vs State Of U.P., it was held that “Now comes the question as to whether the appellant can be found guilty for the offence of "attempt to commit rape". To assess as to whether there was an attempt to commit rape or not by the appellant, we have to see as to what an attempt means. In every crime there is first, intention to commit, secondly, preparation to commit it, and thirdly, attempt to commit it. If the third stage i.e. the attempt is successful then the crime is complete. If the attempt fails, the crime is not complete but the law punishes the person attempting the act. Section 511 is a general provision dealing with attempts to commit offences not made punishable by other specific sections. It makes all attempts to commit offences punishable with imprisonment and not only those punishable with death. An attempt is made punishable, because every attempt, although it falls short of success, must create alarm, which by itself is an injury, and the moral guilt of the offender is the same as if he had succeeded. Moral guilt must be united to injury in order to justify punishment. As the injury is not as great as if the act had been committed, only half the punishment is awarded.
A culprit first intends to commit the offence, then makes preparation for committing and thereafter attempts to commit the offence. If the attempt succeeds, he has committed the offence; if it fails due to reasons beyond his control, he is said to have attempted to commit the offence. Attempt to commit an offence can be said to begin when the preparations are complete and the culprit commences to do something with the intention of committing the offence and which is a step towards the commission of the offence. The moment he commences to do an act with the necessary intention, he commences his attempt to commit the offence. The word 'attempt' is not itself defined, and must, therefore, be taken in its ordinary meaning. This is exactly what the provisions of Section 511 require. An attempt to commit a crime is to be distinguished from an intention to commit it, and from preparation made for its commission. Mere intention to commit an offence, not followed by any act, cannot constitute an offence. The Will is not to be taken for the deed unless there be some external act that shows that progress has been made in the direction of it, or towards maturing and affecting it. Intention is the direction of conduct towards the object chosen upon considering the motives which suggest the choice.”
Q1: X who gets a weapon or a pistol from a licensed arms and ammunition store with a permit, however, has the ultimate aim of murdering his long-term enemy Y. He keeps the weapon in his pocket but nothing does more than that. One day, X finds Y in the nearby nursery and fires, aiming at him. In the event that the shot hits Y causing fatal injury leading to his death, the attempt of X is fruitful and the goal of X is achieved. But what would be the liability of X if Y got only injured?
Correct Option: C
Solution: Y only got injured with the shot of X in the, which was fired with the intention to murder but Y only got injured that’s why X will only be liable for the attempt to murder not murder. Hence c is the correct answer.
Q2: Which among the following is the correct arrangement for the stages of crime?
Correct Option: C
Solution: In the case of every crime to be committed there are 4 stages to be committed. Firstly, intention ( mental or psycho stage)to commit it, Secondly, preparation(arrange the necessary things to commit any crime), Thirdly, attempt to commit it and lastly the accomplishment(he will be guilty of his offence). Hence c is the correct answer.
Q3: Which among the following statements correctly presents a situation that attracts the liability and punishment of the crime of murder?
Correct Option: C
Solution: Under the Indian Penal Code definition of death has been given and defined perfectly, which tells us how death is caused by an act or with the intention of giving injuries to another person, which shows us how a person commits a crime. Hence, option C is the correct answer.
Q4: Any individual who attempts to commit suicide and does any act towards the commission of such an offence will be punished in the Indian Penal Code. Why?
Correct Option: A
Solution: Preceding Aruna Shanbaug's case, the Supreme Court had formulated an assessment on the lawfulness of suicide in Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab, in which it had held that the right to life under Article 21 does not include the option of right to die. All things considered, the court had referred to the UK choice of Airedale N.H.S. Trust v. Bland. Hence, option (A) is correct.
Q5: Which among the following is not an element of the crime?
Correct Option: D
Solution: Non-guilty intention can never be an element of the crime. For any criminal act, there needs to be a malicious or bad intention to commit any crime first. Hence option (D) is the correct option.
Also, check - How to Prepare for CLAT Without Coaching
Read the given passage and answer the following question
The right of private defence of people is recognized in all free, civilised, and democratic societies within certain reasonable limits. Those limits are dictated in two considerations: Every member of society can claim this right- That the state takes responsibility for the maintenance of law and order-This right of private defence is preventive and not punitive. Supreme Court said that the right of private defence is a defensive right surrounded by the law and is available only when the person is able to justify his circumstances. This right is available against an offence and therefore, where an act is done in the exercise of the right of private defence, such an act cannot go in favour of the aggressor. The legal position which has been crystallized from a large number of cases is that the law does not require a citizen, however law-abiding he may be, to behave like a rank coward on any occasion. This principle has been enunciated in Mahandi v. Emperor. In Gotipulla Venkatasiva Subbrayanam & Others v. The State of Andhra Pradesh & Another (1970) 1 SCC 235, this court held that "the right to private defence is a very valuable right and it has been recognized in all civilized and democratic societies within certain reasonable limits. The extent to which the right may be exercised. - The right of private defence in no case extends to the inflicting of more harm than it is necessary to inflict for the purpose of defence. The extent to which the right may be exercised. - The right of private defence in no case extends to the inflicting of more harm than it is necessary to inflict for the purpose of defence. The main question that arises for adjudication, in this case, is whether the accused-appellants had the right of private defence and this is the case of exceeding the right of private defence meaning thereby, inflicting more harm than it was necessary for the purpose of defence.
Q1: Jai, a forest officer having his residence inside the protected zone fenced his quarter with electric wire as a protective measure against wild animals. One fellow officer unaware of the fact got electrocuted and suffers severe injuries. Decide on the liability of Jai.
Correct Option: A
Solution: Jai exceeds the extent to exercise his right to private defence. In the present case, the measures are excessive and hence cannot be termed as a mere private defence. Therefore, Jai is liable to pay damages to his fellow officer for the injuries sustained by him.
Q2: Murti saw some men harassing Yamuna in an empty boggy. Murti while trying to save Yamuna caught hold of one minor boy and beat the guy badly. Decide.
Correct Option: B
Solution: Murti has the right to protect the body of Yamuna. The right to private defence extends to protect the body of other's too.
Q3: According to the passage, the right of private defence is:
A. Punitive in nature and exercised after an offence is committed
B. Preventive in nature and exercised to avert an offence
C. Exercised only when the police fail to protect the person
D. Unlimited and can be used even after the danger has passed
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The passage states that the right of private defence is preventive and not punitive, meaning it is used to prevent harm rather than to punish the offender.
Q4: Which of the following statements best describes the limitation on the right of private defence?
A. It can be exercised to cause any level of harm to the aggressor
B. It cannot be exercised against public officials
C. It extends only to inflicting harm necessary for self-protection
D. It allows for revenge against the aggressor
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As per the passage, “The right of private defence in no case extends to the inflicting of more harm than is necessary for the purpose of defence.”
Q5: The Supreme Court held in Gotipulla Venkatasiva Subbrayanam v. State of Andhra Pradesh that—
A. The right to private defence is available only to government officials
B. The right to private defence is recognised in all civilised societies within reasonable limits
C. The right to private defence can be exercised even after the act of aggression is over
D. The right to private defence includes the right to punish the aggressor
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Court held that the right to private defence is a valuable right recognized in all civilised and democratic societies within certain reasonable limits.
On Question asked by student community
Hello,
For CLAT PG 2026 application :
Photograph: JPEG/JPG, 200x230 pixels, 20–50 KB, white/light background, recent passport-size photo.
Signature: JPEG/JPG, 140x60 pixels, 10–20 KB, sign on white paper with black ink, must match exam documents.
Hope it helps !
Hi dear candidate,
On our official website, you can find various study material EBooks and Sample Papers that can help you prepare better that you can download for free.
Kindly refer to the link attached below:
CLAT E-books and Sample Papers
CLAT Study Material 2026 PDF - Books, Mock Test, Question Papers
BEST REGARDS
Hello,
While NLUs are costly, you can still pursue government-funded law education through state-funded universities and their affiliated colleges that accept CLAT scores, such as institutes like Banaras Hindu University and Aligarh Muslim University.
I hope it will clear your query!!
It is always better to take the CLAT exam right after Class 12 if your goal is to build a career in law, because CLAT UG is specifically designed for admission into integrated five-year law programs like BA LLB, BCom LLB, or BBA LLB. Appearing after Class 12 saves you time, as you complete both graduation and law together in a single course. On the other hand, if you first complete graduation and then plan for law, you will not be eligible for CLAT UG but instead for CLAT PG, which is meant for admission into LLM programs. This path takes longer, because you first spend three or four years on graduation and then add another three years in an LLB program if you choose not to go for an integrated course. So, if you are already sure about pursuing law as your career, writing CLAT right after Class 12 is the smarter and time-saving option, while writing it after graduation makes sense only if you are considering higher studies in law or a shift in career later.
For CLAT, the most important topics are from Legal Reasoning, Current Affairs & GK, the Indian Constitution, English Language, Quantitative Techniques and Logical Reasoning. For a brief detail you can go through the following link: https://law.careers360.com/articles/clat-important-topics
Thank You.
Ranked #18 amongst Institutions in India by NIRF | Ranked #1 in India for Academic Reputation by QS Rankings | 16 LPA Highest CTC
Grade 'A+' accredited by NAAC | Ranked 33rd by NIRF 2025
NAAC A+ Grade | Among top 100 universities of India (NIRF 2024) | 40 crore+ scholarships distributed
India's youngest NAAC A++ accredited University | NIRF rank band 151-200 | Approved by Bar Council of India
Ranked 1 st among Top Law Schools of super Excellence in India - GHRDC | NAAC A+ Accredited | #36 by NIRF
Understand previous year cut-off trends as well as expected cut-offs for current year. Get the Ebook
