What is Section 20 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?

According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: Act of a child under seven years of age.—Nothing is an offence which is done by a child under seven years of age.

What is the punishment under BNS Section 20?

The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Depends on original offence.

Is BNS Section 20 bailable or non-bailable?

Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a Depends on original offence offense.

Is BNS Section 20 a cognizable offense?

The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense is Depends on original offence.

Which court has the jurisdiction to try cases under BNS Section 20?

Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the Depends on original offence.

Can BNS Section 20 be compromised (Compoundable)?

The compoundable nature of this offense, meaning whether the parties can settle it out of court, is classified as: Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions).

BNS Section 20- Act of a child under seven years of age | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023

Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 20 of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. If you've been wondering what exactly this section covers and how it impacts our legal system, you're in the right place.

Bare Act Text

Act of a child under seven years of age.—Nothing is an offence which is done by a child under seven years of age.

Procedural Details

Punishment

Depends on original offence

Nature of Offense

Depends on original offence

Bail Eligibility

Depends on original offence

Compoundability

Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions)

Trial Court

Depends on original offence

Frequently Asked Questions about BNS Section 20

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Pramod is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of StudyHub. He holds a Master's degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geology, alongside more than 7+ years spent building and verifying competitive exam content for Indian aspirants. He leads StudyHub's editorial process across Indian Polity, the Constitution, Indian Economy, History, Geography, Science, and the platform's other subject areas — checking every article against primary sources (bare act text and Gazette notifications for constitutional topics, government and Economic Survey data for economy content, standard reference material elsewhere) and flagging it for re-verification whenever a relevant amendment, policy, or data update makes an earlier version outdated.