BNS Section 5- Commutation of sentence | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 5 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
Commutation of sentence.—The appropriate Government may, without the consent of the offender, commute any punishment under this Sanhita to any other punishment in accordance with section 474 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section the expression “appropriate Government” means, —
in cases where the sentence is a sentence of death or is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends, the Central Government; and
in cases where the sentence (whether of death or not) is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends, the Government of the State within which the offender is sentenced.
Procedural Details
Punishment
Definition / General Principle / Repealed
Nature of Offense
N/A
Bail Eligibility
N/A
Compoundability
Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions)
Trial Court
N/A
Frequently Asked Questions about BNS Section 5
What is Section 5 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?
According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: Commutation of sentence.—The appropriate Government may, without the consent of the offender, commute any punishment under this Sanhita to any other punishment in accordance with section 474 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section the expression “appropriate Government” means, —
in cases where the sentence is a sentence of death or is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends, the Central Government; and
in cases where the sentence (whether of death or not) is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the State extends, the Government of the State within which the offender is sentenced.
What is the punishment under BNS Section5 ?
The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Definition / General Principle / Repealed
Is BNS Section 5 bailable or non-bailable?
Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a N/Aoffense.
Is BNS Section 5 a cognizable offense?
The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense isN/A.
Which court has the jurisdiction to try cases under BNS Section 5 ?
Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the N/A.
Can BNS Section 5 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).
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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.