Madhya Pradesh Civil Judge Exam 2022 is scheduled for 27 August and 28 August.  Many last-moment doubts must be arising in the law aspirants. We are here to help you with the Judgement writing for Criminal Law.

Judgement Writing is the fourth and last exam in MPCJ Mains. It holds a total of 100 marks. Out of which, 40 marks are allotted to Judgment Writing in Criminal Law. 

Read the article in this section to ensure a perfect score of 40 marks in judgement writing for judiciary exams.

Prerequisites of Judgement Writing for Criminal Law

If you don’t know the rules of chess, you can’t play it! Similarly, if you aren’t well-versed in legal acts, codes, and procedures, then writing a judgment might be a tough case for you in Judiciary Mains Exam. 

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So, reading the following acts is of utmost importance. 

• Indian Evidence Act
• Indian Penal Code

Format of Criminal Law Judgement Writing for Judiciary Exams 

How to write a judgement for judiciary exams? The first impression is the last impression. So, it must be a good one! The accurately placed contents in the format of judgment are sure to make a lasting impression on the copy checker. Without any doubt, it will fetch you extra marks. 

Take note of the following format for your reference.

In The Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Bhopal

(Presided By ……./XYZ) 

Criminal Case No…..

State of MP through SHO, Police Station …                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Prosecution

Habibganj, Bhopal

Versus

1) A S/o…. R/o… Age Adult

2) B S/o…. R/o… Age Adult 

3) C S/o…. R/o… Age Adult ...Accused

Shri ____APP for Prosecution

Shri ____ Counsel for Accused

JUDGEMENT

(Delivered on this …. Day of….)

Tips and Tricks for Judgement Writing for Criminal Law

Remember these judgement writing tips for mastering the judiciary exam.  

• Mention the Class of Judge; First Class, Second Class, etc. Usually, the questions stating First Class Judge are asked in the examination.
• Never disclose your personal information, such as name, age, etc.
• Write ‘XYZ’ or ‘.......’ in the ‘Presided by’ section. You can also leave it blank.
• Write the exact address of the prosecution. It is mentioned in the question paper.
• Always mention prosecution parallelly to the original address where the complaint was launched.
• If case of multiple accused, specify by serial number.
• Always write ‘adult’ in the age. 
• Fill in the necessary information of the accused, such as name, residence, father's name, etc., only if mentioned in the question paper. Otherwise, leave it blank.
• Keep the judgment in all capital letters.
• The criminal case number is generally not mentioned. So, you can just write the current year, leaving the date and month blank.
• You must all the information stated in the question paper.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Judgement Writing 

Under the pressure of the MPCJ Mains exam, students often commit common mistakes. Take note of the following errors that students commit. Make sure you avoid these typical mistakes in criminal judgment writing. 

• Students forget to specify the class of Judicial Magistrate
• Never write your name in ‘Presided By.’ 
• Avoid writing the imaginary or anonymous address of the prosecution.
• Don’t write judgement in small letters. 
• Never write fake information wherever it is non-essential.

13 Steps Judgement Writing Guide for Beginners

Judging was never an easy task. It comes with practice. However, a master was once a novice. 

You must include the following things in your judgement writing to write a fair judgement for both the accused as well as the victim. 

Brief Narration of Charges

• In the first paragraph, narrate the charges for which the accused stood the trial.
• State the laws of punishment and the purpose of bringing the accused to the court of law. 

Undisputed Facts of the Case

• The facts which are neither denied by the prosecution nor the accused are undisputed facts of the case. 
• In case there are no undisputed facts, do not go for false information. 
• Simply write as “No Undisputed Facts for the Case.”

Case of Prosecution

• The incident that happened with the victim is put by the prosecution. 
• Describe the plot of incidence, including key details. 
• Mention the case briefly with the witness, if any. 

Case of Accused as Set Out

• Now that you have written about one side of the coin. It’s time to shed some light on the other part. 
• This section holds information about the defence of the accused. 
• This includes hearing the accused side of the story about the case. 

In Plea to Charge

• Whether or not the accused is pleading guilty to the charges being put on him. 
• If the accused pleads non-guilty, then you must write ‘accused pleads not guilty of the offense”.

The Answers to Questions Put to the Accused in his Examination

• This includes the conversation that took place between the police officers and the accused.
• Enlist the major questions asked in the form of a general discussion.
• Do not write in the form of question answers. 

Statement of Defence Witness

• Highlight the statement of witnesses.
• Mention the special defense such as unsound mind, physical disorder, pregnancy, etc., if any.

Points for Determination

• Charges were framed against the accused.
• What all thing you will have to make a judgment.

Marshaling and Appreciation of Evidence

• Marshaling and appreciation of evidence is the most important part of Judgement Writing.
• Here, the key sections of the Evidence Act, including Section 6, Section 7, and Section 8, will come into the limelight.
• Ensure that you comply with the clauses of the Indian Penal Code.
• Marshaling means calculating the value of each piece of evidence.
• Write the evidence and witness as per the following rules.

1. Prosecution Witness - PW 1, PW 2
2. Defense Witness - DW 1, DW 2 
3. Exhibit - Ex 1, Ex 2 

Ultimate Finding

• It is the decision where you have to decide if the accused is guilty or not.
• If the accused is found guilty, write ‘to be suspended temporarily.
• Else, write ‘the accused be set at liberty.

Operative Portion of Judgement

In Criminal Law of Judgement Writing for Judiciary exams, the operative portion of judgment includes all the points of declaring the accused guilty on specific grounds. 

Some of the key points are mentioned below.

• Which law holds the accused guilty?
• Under which sections are the accused being punished?
• Which type of punishment will the accused get?
• State the duration of punishment.
• Address the fines charges, if any. Don’t keep the fine amount too vigorous. Keep it minimal, as it should bear a financial burden on the accused. 
• In case the victim is getting compensated. Do not overprice it. Judge an appropriate amount so that justice is delivered. 
• Choose the term of punishment to be between the minimum and maximum sentences. 
• All the charges depend on the gravity of the case.
• All the bonds must be canceled when the person is held guilty. 
• There is different punishment assigned under each law. 
• Specify the terms of substantive punishment, concurrent punishment, or separate punishment.
• If you are giving exemptions under the Probation of Offenders Act.
• In the end, write the punishment in case of default of payment of the fine.

Signature of the Magistrate with Date and Designation 

• This section entails the signature of the magistrate with the date and designation.
• It is followed by "Judgement Pronounced" in open court in the brackets.

Signature of Magistrate Seal of the Court.

• Simply write it as it is. There is no need to draw the seal or stamp.

Criminal Law Judgement Writing Example

Click the button below to download the judgement writing sample pdf. 

Download Judgement Writing for Judiciary Exams PDF

Mostly Asked Provisions of Judgement Writing Questions for Criminal Law

Remember the keywords of important acts. Use these keywords wisely in framing charges and operating the judgment. Keep the language similar to the Bare Act. Click here to learn the strategy to read Bare Acts for MPCJ 2022.

Listed below are some key provisions that are asked frequently in the exam.

• Robbery
• Simple hurt
• Grievous hurt
• Grievous hurt by dangerous weapon
• Simple hurt by weapon
• Outraging the modesty of women