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HI am not a law student nor have I studied law in any form. However, I am interested in learning about the legal system. Without any prior research, I directly picked up the book titled *Constitution of India* by Dr. B R Ambedkar. I directly dove into the book & right off the bat I got confused with the format of the book. Please keep in mind that I have no idea how legal literature is written. For starters, there wasn’t a “How to Read this Book” section or “Who is this book for” section. This is usually seen in all non-fiction books. Regardless, I kept going & completed the following:
1. Part I: The Union & its Territory
2. Part II: Citizenship
3. Part III: Fundamental Rights
4. Part IV: Directive Principles of State PolicyAfter reading these sections, I understood that there isn’t a Chapter by Chapter explanation. In fact there seems to be no “extended explanation with examples” of any of the Laws. Each Law was numbered. This might sound straightforward to legal folks but I expected a “How to refer the Law” section e.g. Sub-clause “b” of Article 9, etc.
Either way, I am starting to doubt whether reading this book further would help me or not. I just want to understand the Law better. Which books would you suggest for a layman?
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HThe Constitution of India is the foundational legal document that outlines the framework of our country. What you are reading is the bare act, which contains the actual text of the Constitution. For a more detailed explanation, you may refer to a commentary on it. For a layman, I would recommend the latest edition of Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu.
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HFair point. I will look into the book authored by D.D. Basu.
As far as I have read, the acts/laws are stated in a very long format i.e. very long sentences. I find it really hard to keep track of what the sentence is trying to say.
Furthermore, I am only understanding 40% of what I am reading. My aim is to be well-read about our legal system. Does that mean I have to remember all this stuff inside out? Or is it the job of a lawyer to do this? As a layman, How deep shall I go into this if the goal is to be well-read?
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HThe Constitution of India is the bedrock of our legal system, it is the foundation upon which all other laws are built. It defines the structure of governance and guarantees fundamental rights to citizens. Key institutions & positions like the President, Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Public Service Commissions, Election Commission etc. derive their authority from it.
However, reading the Constitution alone won’t give you a complete understanding of the legal system. Law is vast and extends across various domains—criminal law requires knowledge of the IPC and CrPC, while commercial law involves statutes like the Contract Act, Sale of Goods Act, and Companies Act etc. Each area has its own set of legislations, principles and intricacies.
If you want to well read on our legal framework, Introduction to the Constitution of India by D.D. Basu is a good read for you. Apart from explaining the provisions, it provides historical context and explains how our legal system has evolved over time. However, if you want to explore a specific area of law, you will need to refer to subject-specific books tailored to that domain.
And don’t be discouraged if you find the bare text of the Constitution difficult to understand. Even experienced advocates continue to study and interpret it throughout their careers.
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RADVOCATE HERE. Constitution will give you an ideal Indian legal system. Of course, for true understanding, you ought to read concerned legislations. However, for a non-legal person, start with Class 11/12 books for Legal Studies. Free PDFs are available online. These are really good. My best wishes.
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H>Constitution will give you an ideal Indian legal system.
I don’t doubt this & it is the very reason why I picked up the book, but I find it really hard to comprehend the text. It is not at all for a layman.
Thank you for suggesting the books. I will look into those.
Out of curiosity, do you, as an Advocate, know the Constitution inside out? Do you remember all the articles & it’s sub-clauses? I ask this because I want to set & calibrate a goal for myself. I want to be well-read about our legal system but at the same time, I need to put limitation as to how deep shall I go into this.
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R>Do you remember all the articles & it’s sub-clauses? I ask this because I want to set & calibrate a goal for myself.
Given that you are not a legal professional, it is not going to help you to cram Articles of the Constitution. Of course, you may do it as a hobby. To answer your question, most Articles are often on the tips of advocates, solely because we interpret them, we mould them every day, and the said activities are done while interlinking them, so, its never about just one Article. My best wishes.
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