Law Transition Comparison: Section 2 BSA vs Section 3 IEA
Side-by-side analysis of statutory changes, penal differences, bailable classification, trial courts, and precedents following India's July 2024 criminal law transition.
AI Legal Analysis & Key Differences
No material statutory changes have been made to the core text of this provision during the transition. The wording, elements, and thresholds remain substantially identical. However, practitioners must adapt to the new section numbering and procedural alignment under the 2023 Sanhitas.
Transition Checklist for Legal Practitioners
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Verify Date of Offense (Crucial for Application)
If the alleged offense occurred before July 1, 2024, substantive charges must be filed under the old act (IEA). For offenses on or after July 1, 2024, use the new Sanhita (BSA).
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Nomenclature Audit in Pleadings
Ensure all draft petitions, FIRs, charge sheets, and bail applications refer to Section 2 of the BSA instead of the old Section 3 of the IEA.
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Confirm Savings Clause Compliance
Apply the savings clause (Section 531 BNSS or Section 358 BNS) to confirm that any trials, appeals, or investigations pending as of July 1, 2024 continue under the old code (IEA) as if the new Sanhitas had not been enacted.
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Review Updated Bail and Trial Jurisdiction
Double-check the schedule in BNSS or CrPC to verify if the trial court jurisdiction (e.g. Session Court vs Magistrate) or the bailable status has been altered for Section 2.
Act Source (Active Site)(1) In this Adhiniyam, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) “Court” includes all Judges and Magistrates, and all persons, except arbitrators, legally authorised to take evidence; (b) “conclusive proof” means when one fact is declared by this Adhiniyam to be conclusive proof of another, the Court shall, on proof of the one fact, regard the other as proved, and shall not allow evidence to be given for the purpose of disproving it; (c) “disproved” in relation to a fact, means when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes that it does not exist, or considers its non-existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it does not exist; (d) “document” means any matter expressed or described or otherwise recorded upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks or any other means or by more than one of those means, intended to be used, or which may be used, for the purpose of recording that matter and includes electronic and digital records. Illustrations. (i) A writing is a document. (ii) Words printed, lithographed or photographed are documents. (iii) A map or plan is a document. (iv) An inscription on a metal plate or stone is a document. (v) A caricature is a document. (vi) An electronic record on emails, server logs, documents on computers, laptop or smartphone, messages, websites, locational evidence and voice mail messages stored on digital devices are documents; (e) “evidence” means and includes— (i) all statements including statements given electronically which the Court permits or requires to be made before it by witnesses in relation to matters of fact under inquiry and such statements are called oral evidence; (ii) all documents including electronic or digital records produced for the inspection of the Court and such documents are called documentary evidence; (f) “fact” means and includes— (i) any thing, state of things, or relation of things, capable of being perceived by the senses; (ii) any mental condition of which any person is conscious. Illustrations. (i) That there are certain objects arranged in a certain order in a certain place, is a fact. (ii) That a person heard or saw something, is a fact. (iii) That a person said certain words, is a fact. (iv) That a person holds a certain opinion, has a certain intention, acts in good faith, or fraudulently, or uses a particular word in a particular sense, or is or was at a specified time conscious of a particular sensation, is a fact; (g) “facts in issue” means and includes any fact from which, either by itself or in connection with other facts, the existence, non-existence, nature or extent of any right, liability or disability, asserted or denied in any suit or proceeding, necessarily follows. Explanation.—Whenever, under the provisions of the law for the time being in force relating to Civil Procedure, any Court records an issue of fact, the fact to be asserted or denied in the answer to such issue is a fact in issue. A is accused of the murder of B. At his trial, the following facts may be in issue:— Illustrations. (i) That A caused B's death. (ii) That A intended to cause B's death. (iii) That A had received grave and sudden provocation from B. (iv) That A, at the time of doing the act which caused B’s death, was, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing its nature; (h) “may presume”.—Whenever it is provided by this Adhiniyam that the Court may presume a fact, it may either regard such fact as proved, unless and until it is disproved or may call for proof of it; (i) “not proved”.—A fact is said to be not proved when it is neither proved nor disproved; (j) “proved”.—A fact is said to be proved when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes it to exist, or considers its existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it exists; (k) “relevant”.—A fact is said to be relevant to another when it is connected with the other in any of the ways referred to in the provisions of this Adhiniyam relating to the relevancy of facts; (l) “shall presume”.—Whenever it is directed by this Adhiniyam that the Court shall presume a fact, it shall regard such fact as proved, unless and until it is disproved. (2) Words and expressions used herein and not defined but defined in the Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 shall have the same meanings as assigned to them in the said Act and Sanhitas. PART II
Section 2
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam
Official Statutory Text
Procedural Profile
| Offence Category | N/A / Procedural |
| Bail Eligibility | Procedural |
| Arrest Classification | Procedural |
| Trial Court | Procedural |
| Max Punishment | Procedural |
Act Source (Compared)In this Act the following words and expressions are used in the following senses, unless a contrary intention appears from the context—
Court: Court includes all Judges and Magistrates, and all persons, except arbitrators, legally authorized to take evidence.
Fact: Fact means and includes—
any thing, state of things, or relation of things, capable of being perceived by the senses;
any mental condition of which any person is conscious.
Relevant: One fact is said to be relevant to another when the one is connected with the other in any of the ways referred to in the provisions of this Act relating to the relevancy of facts.
Facts in issue: The expression facts in issue means and includes-any fact from which, either by itself or in connection with other facts, the existence, non-existence, nature or extent of any right, liability, or disability asserted or denied in any suit or proceeding, necessarily follows.
Document: Document means any matter expressed or described upon any substance by means of letters, figures or marks, or by more than one of those means, intended to be used or which may be used for the purpose of recording that matter.
Evidence: Evidence means and includes—
all statements which the Court permits or requires to be made before it by witnesses, in relation to matters of fact under inquiry;
such statements are called oral evidence;
all documents including electronic records produced for the inspection of the Court;
such documents are called documentary evidence.
Proved: A fact is said to be proved when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes it to exist, or considers its existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it exists.
Disproved: A fact is said to be disproved when, after considering the matters before it, the Court either believes that it does not exist, or considers its non-existence so probable that a prudent man ought, under the circumstances of the particular case, to act upon the supposition that it does not exist.
Not proved: A fact is said to be not proved when it is neither proved nor disproved.
India: India means the territory of India excluding the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The expressions Certifying Authority, digital signature, Digital Signature Certificate, electronic form, electronic records, information, secure electronic record, secure digital signature and subscriber shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in the Information Technology Act, 2000.
Section 3
Indian Evidence Act, 1872
Official Statutory Text
Procedural Profile
| Offence Category | N/A / Procedural |
| Bail Eligibility | Procedural |
| Arrest Classification | Procedural |
| Trial Court | Procedural |
| Max Punishment | Procedural |