BNS §17
Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law
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Comparison
79. Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself, justified, by law.— Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in doing it. Illustration A sees Z commit what appears to A to be a murder. A, in the exercise, to the best of his judgment exerted in good faith, of the power which the law gives to all persons of apprehending murderers in the fact, seizes Z, in order to bring Z before the proper authorities. A has committed no offence, though it may turn out that Z was acting in self-defence.
Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in doing it.
What changedAI-inferred
IPC 79 and BNS 17 carry the same exception character-identically including the apprehending-murderers illustration.
Old position
IPC 79 is concerned with Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law. Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself, justified, by law
New position
BNS 17 preserves the framework with drafting modernisations as required by the new code. Topic: Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law. Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in doing it
BNS 17 (Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law) preserves the framework of IPC 79. BNS 17 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code. BNS 17...
Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)
BNS 17 (Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law) preserves the framework of IPC 79. BNS 17 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code.
BNS 17 text: Nothing is an offence which is done by any person who is justified by law, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in doing it.
Transitional note (repeal & savings)
For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 79 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 17 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward unaffected.
Frequently asked
BNS 17 (Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law). The relationship is classified as substantively_same — see the change-note above for the textual delta.
Government source
The statutory text above is compiled from the Act as published by the Government of India. The links open the full Act; use the PDF's search to find the section number. The linked government pages offer no link to a single section.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · §17
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India · PDF
Indian Penal Code, 1860 · §79
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Indian Penal Code, 1860 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India · PDF
Newlaws.in is an independent site, not a government body. The mappings and notes on this page are its own AI-assisted comparison and are not published or endorsed by any government body.
Sources
- India Code — Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Gazette of India — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Cite this page
Newlaws.in, IPC §79 → BNS §17 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-10-29, https://newlaws.in/bns/17.
Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01
Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.