What Is BNSS Section 415?

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 - Section 415: Appeals from convictions

(1) Any person convicted on a trial held by a High Court in its extraordinary original criminal jurisdiction may appeal to the Supreme Court.

(2) Any person convicted on a trial held by a Sessions Judge or an Additional Sessions Judge or on a trial held by any other Court in which a sentence of imprisonment for more than seven years has been passed against him or against any other person convicted at the same trial, may appeal to the High Court.

(3) Save as otherwise provided in sub-section (2), any person,— (a) convicted on a trial held by Magistrate of the first class, or of the second class, or (b) sentenced under section 364, or (c) in respect of whom an order has been made or a sentence has been passed under section 401 by any Magistrate, may appeal to the Court of Session.

(4) When an appeal has been filed against a sentence passed under section 64, section 66, section 67, section 68, section 70 or section 71 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the appeal shall be disposed of within a period of six months from the date of filing of such appeal.

Brefe Detail

This section outlines the right to appeal for individuals convicted under various circumstances. It categorizes the appeals based on the type of trial and the nature of the conviction.

• A person convicted in the High Court's extraordinary criminal jurisdiction can appeal to the Supreme Court.
• A person convicted by a Sessions Judge or similar court with a sentence of imprisonment over seven years can appeal to the High Court.
• Individuals convicted by a Magistrate (first or second class), or sentenced under certain sections, can appeal to the Court of Session.
• For specific sections (64, 66, 67, 68, 70, and 71), appeals must be disposed of within six months of filing.

Question & Answers

Q1: Who can appeal to the Supreme Court under Section 415?

A1: Any person convicted in a trial held by a High Court in its extraordinary original criminal jurisdiction can appeal to the Supreme Court.

Q2: What is the condition for appealing to the High Court under Section 415?

A2: A person convicted by a Sessions Judge, Additional Sessions Judge, or any court where the sentence of imprisonment exceeds seven years, or for any person convicted in the same trial, may appeal to the High Court.

Q3: Who may appeal to the Court of Session under Section 415?

A3: Any person convicted by a Magistrate (first or second class), sentenced under section 364, or someone with an order or sentence passed under section 401 by a Magistrate, may appeal to the Court of Session.

Q4: What happens when an appeal is filed against sentences under sections 64, 66, 67, 68, 70, or 71?

A4: When an appeal is filed against sentences under these sections, it must be disposed of within six months from the filing date.

Example

Example 1:

An individual convicted by a Sessions Judge for a crime that carries a sentence of 10 years imprisonment may appeal to the High Court.

Example 2:

A person sentenced to imprisonment for 8 years under section 68 by a Sessions Judge may appeal to the High Court. However, if the person had been convicted by a Magistrate, their appeal would go to the Court of Session.

Example 3:

A person convicted under section 364 (which pertains to a serious offense) would have the right to appeal to the Court of Session.

Summary

Section 415 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, clarifies the right of appeal for individuals convicted under different circumstances, specifying which courts they can appeal to. The section sets a six-month time limit for appeals in specific cases involving sentences under certain sections.