Uttar Pradesh Assistant Prosecution Officer Examination refers to competitive recruitment for prosecution posts in which selected candidates represent the State in criminal courts. The short form UP APO is used widely in preparation literature. Recruiting authorities include UPPSC.
Uttar Pradesh recruits Assistant Prosecution Officers through a competitive examination emphasising criminal substantive law, procedure and evidence.
Directory: Law examinations in India.
Nature of the post
Prosecution officers examine charge-sheets, conduct trials and inquiries as assigned, advise on investigation in limited contexts, and argue bail, charge and appellate matters. Day-to-day work is organised around the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for procedure and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for substantive offences, with proof governed by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
Eligibility
Typical conditions (always read the state advertisement) include:
- LL.B. from a recognised university;
- enrolment as an advocate, or a stated period of practice, in some states;
- age limits with category-wise relaxation;
- domicile or language conditions where prescribed.
Scheme of examination
| Stage | Usual content |
|---|---|
| Screening / Preliminary | Objective questions on law; sometimes general knowledge |
| Mains | Descriptive answers on criminal law, procedure, evidence and constitutional criminal process |
| Interview | Legal awareness and suitability for prosecution work |
Not every state uses all three stages; some combine screening with interview.
Syllabus focus
- Constitutional criminal process — Articles 20–22, fair-trial principles, writ remedies in criminal matters, and the hierarchy of criminal courts
- Substantive criminal law — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, with mapping from IPC chapter structure where older materials are used
- Criminal procedure — FIR, investigation, arrest, remand, bail, charge, trial forms, judgment, appeal, revision and inherent powers under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
- Evidence — relevancy, confessions, dying declarations, burden of proof, witnesses under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
- Special statutes frequently listed — Arms, NDPS themes, POCSO overview, domestic violence and other women-and-child statutes as named
- Language or GK papers where the state scheme includes them
Statutes
- Constitution of India — fundamental rights, directive principles, federal structure, judiciary, emergency and amendment provisions
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — substantive criminal offences (successor to the Indian Penal Code)
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 — investigation, trial and appellate criminal procedure (successor to the Code of Criminal Procedure)
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 — relevancy, proof and examination of witnesses (successor to the Indian Evidence Act)
- Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 — institution of suits, jurisdiction, decrees, appeals, execution and interim relief
- Indian Contract Act, 1872 — formation, performance, breach and quasi-contract themes
- Specific Relief Act; Transfer of Property Act; Limitation Act; Negotiable Instruments Act
- State and local Acts named in the official syllabus (land revenue, rent control, tenancy, court fees, stamp, and similar statutes)
Comparison with judicial service examinations
| Dimension | Civil Judge examinations | APO / APP examinations |
|---|---|---|
| Civil procedure and property law | Central | Usually secondary |
| Criminal procedure and evidence | High | Highest |
| Local civil statutes | High | Variable |
| Professional role | Adjudication | Prosecution for the State |
Related pages
Primary sources
State Public Service Commission or home-department advertisements for UP APO, including syllabus annexures and any High Court rules on prosecution recruitment.