The Ilbert bill was a bill introduced in 1883 during the viceroy-ship of Lord Rippon, (1880-1884). Ilbert was the law member of the Viceroy’s council. According to this bill, Indian magistrates could try a European accused, while the previous laws prohibited them from doing so. Lord Rippon wanted to improve the judiciary. Lord Rippon had a long discussion with Sir CP Ilbert to change the bill for favoring Indians. This is called the famous Ilbert bill.

The Europeans living in India looked it as a humiliation and the introduction of the bill led to intense opposition in Britain as well as in India (by the Britishers). So, it was withdrawn and later on reintroduced and enacted in 1884 in a severely compromised state.

The Europeans Would now be tried by European and Indian District Magistrates and sessions Judges alike. However, a defendant could claim trial by a jury, of which at least half the members must be Europeans. Thus, this enactment held that the European criminals would be heard only by the Indian Judges assisted by the European Judges.

1. Ilbert Bill was a bill introduced in 1883 during the viceroy-ship of Marquess of Ripon, which was written by Sir Courtenay. The viceroy actually desired to abolish the racial prejudice from India, and as such, this bill proposed that an Indian Judge can hereby try a European convict in various criminal cases.

2. This changed the decades old provision of barring Indian judges from doing so. This caused huge resentment among the British people as they knew the judges from India would be inclined towards Indians and the European convicts who were being prosecuted under the crime committed against an Indian would be punished according to law.

The main reenters were Indigo planters in West Bengal region who were exploiting the farmers and were forcing them to cultivate Indigo even though they did not want to do so. At the same time, rum-ours began circulating that an English female was raped by an Indian in Calcutta. In reference to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, when it was alleged that English women and girls were raped by Indian Sepoy; many British colonialists expressed great concern over the humiliation of the English.

3. Females would have to appear before Indian judges in the case of rapes and the propaganda that Indian judges cannot be trusted in dealing with cases involving English females helped to raise considerable support against the bill.

4. Finally, a solution was adopted by way of compromise: jurisdiction to try Europeans would be conferred to a European and Indian district Magistrates and session judges alike. However, a dependent would in all cases have the right to claim trial by a jury of which at least half the members must be Europeans. The bill was then passed an 25 th July, 1884 as the Criminal Procedure Code Amendment Act, 1884, coming into force on 1st May of that year.