What Is BNSS Section 445?

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 - Section 445: Statement by Magistrate of Grounds of His Decision to Be Considered by High Court

When the record of any trial held by a Magistrate is called for by the High Court or Court of Session under section 438, the Magistrate may submit with the record a statement setting forth the grounds of his decision or order and any facts which he thinks material to the issue, and that Court shall consider such statement before overruling or setting aside the said decision or order.

Brief Detail

Section 445 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 outlines the procedure for a Magistrate when their trial record is reviewed by the High Court or Court of Session. Key points include:

• The Magistrate has the option to submit a statement with the trial record.
• This statement should detail the grounds for the decision or order made by the Magistrate.
• The High Court or Court of Session is required to consider this statement before making a decision to overrule or set aside the Magistrate's decision.

Question & Answers

Q1: What happens when the High Court calls for a trial record from a Magistrate?

A1: The Magistrate may submit a statement with the record that outlines the grounds of their decision and any relevant facts.

Q2: Is the statement from the Magistrate mandatory?

A2: No, the submission of the statement is optional for the Magistrate.

Q3: What must the High Court or Court of Session do with the Magistrate's statement?

A3: The High Court or Court of Session must consider the statement before overruling or setting aside the Magistrate's decision or order.

Q4: Under which section can the High Court or Court of Session call for a trial record?

A4: The record can be called for under section 438.

Example

• Scenario 1: If a Magistrate issues a conviction, and the High Court requests the trial record, the Magistrate may provide a statement explaining the rationale behind the conviction.
• Scenario 2: The High Court reviews a case and receives the Magistrate's statement, detailing why they made their decision. This helps the High Court in understanding the context before making its ruling.
• Scenario 3: A Magistrate may choose not to submit a statement with their record, but the High Court is still obligated to review the record itself before reaching a conclusion.

Summary

Section 445 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 mandates that when the High Court or Court of Session reviews a trial record from a Magistrate, the Magistrate can submit a statement outlining the grounds of their decision. This statement must be considered by the reviewing court before any decision to overrule or set aside the original order is made.