Section8
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Court of Session

In force From 01 Jul 2024 Act 46 of 2023 As on 15 Oct 2026

Act 46 of 2023 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 25 Dec 2023 In force 01 Jul 2024 Cited by 3 provisions

Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 deals with court of Session. The State Government shall establish a Court of Session for every sessions division. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.

(1) The State Government shall establish a Court of Session for every sessions division.

(2) Every Court of Session shall be presided over by a Judge, to be appointed by the High Court.

(3) The High Court may also appoint Additional Sessions Judges to exercise jurisdiction in a Court of Session.

(4) The Sessions Judge of one sessions division may be appointed by the High Court to be also an Additional Sessions Judge of another division, and in such case, he may sit for the disposal of cases at such place or places in the other division as the High Court may direct.

(5) Where the office of the Sessions Judge is vacant, the High Court may make arrangements for the disposal of any urgent application which is, or may be, made or pending before such Court of Session by an Additional Sessions Judge or if there be no Additional Sessions Judge, by a Chief Judicial Magistrate, in the sessions division; and every such Judge or Magistrate shall have jurisdiction to deal with any such application.

(6) The Court of Session shall ordinarily hold its sitting at such place or places as the High Court may, by notification, specify; but, if, in any particular case, the Court of Session is of opinion that it will tend to the general convenience of the parties and witnesses to hold its sittings at any other place in the sessions division, it may, with the consent of the prosecution and the accused, sit at that place for the disposal of the case or the examination of any witness or witnesses therein.

(7) The Sessions Judge may, from time to time, make orders consistent with this Sanhita, as to the distribution of business among such Additional Sessions Judges.

(8) The Sessions Judge may also make provision for the disposal of any urgent application, in the event of his absence or inability to act, by an Additional Sessions Judge or if there be no Additional Sessions Judge, by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, and such Judge or Magistrate shall be deemed to have jurisdiction to deal with any such application

Explanation.---For the purposes of this Sanhita, appointment does not include the first appointment, posting or promotion of a person by the Government to any Service, or post in connection with the affairs of the Union or of a State, where under any law, such appointment, posting or promotion is required to be made by the Government.

Section 8, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act 46 of 2023).

Replaces a provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure

CRPC 9 Court of Session Text carried over almost unchanged 95%

Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.

Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.

Cross-references

Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.

Questions about Section 8

What does Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita deal with?

Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita is headed "Court of Session". The State Government shall establish a Court of Session for every sessions division.

How do I find court cases under Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: BNSS 8, section 8 BNSS, section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

What should I read with Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and has it changed?

3 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. It carries forward CrPC 9 (Court of Session), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.

When did Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita come into force?

Section 8 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, cited as BNSS 8, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.