These rules supersede and replace articles 120 and 121, except sections 121-1 and 121-13 of
the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
Rule 601.Supersedure of Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963
Article VI. Appeals in Criminal Cases, Post-Conviction Cases, and Juvenile Court Proceedings · Last amended 1970 · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 601 states that the Article VI criminal-appeal rules replace nearly all of the appellate provisions that used to live in the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 601
Plain-English Summary
Before 1967, criminal appeals in Illinois ran on statute — Articles 120 and 121 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Rule 601 marks the moment that changed: the rules in this Article take over almost everything those two articles used to govern.
The word “almost” matters. Two sections, 121-1 and 121-13, stay in force even after this rule takes effect. Everything else in Articles 120 and 121 gives way to the criminal-appeal rules that follow, from Rule 602 through Rule 615 and beyond.
Rule 601 doesn’t set out any procedure of its own. It’s a hinge rule, telling courts and lawyers where to look from this point forward — the Supreme Court’s own rules, not the old Code sections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Rule 601 do?
It supersedes and replaces most of Articles 120 and 121 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963, the statutes that used to govern criminal appeals.
Are any parts of the old Code still in effect?
Yes — sections 121-1 and 121-13 remain in force; everything else in Articles 120 and 121 gives way to the Article VI rules.
Why move criminal appellate procedure out of the Code and into court rules?
So the Supreme Court, which adopts and amends its own rules, controls the procedure directly rather than leaving it to the legislature.
Does Rule 601 set out any appeal procedure itself?
No — it’s a transition rule; the actual procedures start with Rule 602.
Does Rule 601 touch civil appeals?
No, it addresses only the criminal appellate provisions formerly found in Articles 120 and 121.
Committee Comments
This rule is essentially former Rule 27(1). It contains some changes in language necessitated by the fact that the new criminal appeals rules are intended to supersede and replace almost all of the criminal appeals procedures contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963.
Amendment History
Amended October 21, 1969, effective January 1, 1970.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: Illinois criminal appeal rules historyCode of Criminal Procedure 1963 supersededArticle VI appeals originwhy criminal appeals moved to court rules