There was no uniform law of criminal procedure for the whole of India For the guidance of the Courts there were separate Acts which were applicable in erstwhile provinces and the presidency towns The Acts which were applicable in the presidency towns were first consolidated by the Criminal Procedure Supreme Court Act (16 of 1852) The Acts which were applicable in the provinces were consolidated by the Criminal Procedure Code (25 of 1861) Criminal Procedure Supreme Courts Act was replaced by the High Court Criminal Procedure Act (12 of 1865) and the Criminal Procedure Code was replaced by Act 10 of 1872 A uniform law of procedure for the whole of India was consolidated by the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1882 (10 of 1882) It was replaced by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898) This Code of 1898 had been amended by various amending Acts In 1955 extensive amendments were made to simplify procedure and to speed up trials.