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Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 · Chapter II: Relevancy of Facts · Statements made under special circumstances

Section 32: Relevancy of statements as to any law contained in law books including electronic or digital form

Earlier law: Evidence Act section 38 (Relevancy of statements as to any law contained in law-books)

In plain words

When the court has to decide what the law of a country is, a statement of that law in a book published under that country's government's authority, and reports of that country's court rulings, including in electronic form, are relevant.

A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.

Official text

When the Court has to form an opinion as to a law of any country, any statement of such law contained in a book purporting to be printed or published including in electronic or digital form under the authority of the Government of such country and to contain any such law, and any report of a ruling of the Courts of such country contained in a book including in electronic or digital form purporting to be a report of such rulings, is relevant.

Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 25 August 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 32

No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.