BNS §18

Accident in doing a lawful act

Substantively sameConfidence: mediumStatus: editor verified
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Text verified against official sources where indicated. Field-level labels (AI-indicated / AI-inferred / Text-verified) apply per edge metadata. Verify current bail/cognizable status against official sources before relying on procedural claims. Last updated: 2026-04-28.

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Comparison

Old law
IPC §80
Accident in doing a lawful act

80. Accident in doing a lawful act.—Nothing is an offence which is done by accident or misfortune, and without any criminal intention or knowledge in the doing of a lawful act in a lawful manner by lawful means and with proper care and caution. Illustration A is at work with a hatchet; the head flies off and kills a man who is standing by. Here, if there was no want of proper caution on the part of A, his act is excusable and not an offence.

New law
BNS §18
Accident in doing a lawful act

Nothing is an offence which is done by accident or misfortune, and without any criminal intention or knowledge in the doing of a lawful act in a lawful manner by lawful means and with proper care and caution.

What changedAI-inferred

IPC 80 and BNS 18 carry the same accident-in-lawful-act exception character-identically including the hatchet illustration.

Old position

IPC 80 is concerned with Accident in doing a lawful act. Accident in doing a lawful act

New position

BNS 18 preserves the framework with drafting modernisations as required by the new code. Topic: Accident in doing a lawful act. Nothing is an offence which is done by accident or misfortune, and without any criminal intention or knowledge in the doing of a lawful act in a lawful manner by lawful means and with proper care and caution

BNS 18 (Accident in doing a lawful act) preserves the framework of IPC 80. BNS 18 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code. BNS 18 text: Nothing is an offence which is done by accident or...

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

BNS 18 (Accident in doing a lawful act) preserves the framework of IPC 80. BNS 18 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code.

BNS 18 text: Nothing is an offence which is done by accident or misfortune, and without any criminal intention or knowledge in the doing of a lawful act in a lawful manner by lawful means and with proper care and caution.

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 80 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 18 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 18 (Accident in doing a lawful act). 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.

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

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, IPC §80 → BNS §18 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-10-29, https://newlaws.in/bns/18.

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.