Section20
The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023

When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant

In force From 01 Jul 2024 Act 47 of 2023 As on 15 Oct 2026

Act 47 of 2023 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 25 Dec 2023 In force 01 Jul 2024

Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 deals with when oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant. Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in qu The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.

Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in question

Section 20, The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Act 47 of 2023).

Replaces a provision of the Indian Evidence Act

IEA 22 When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant Text carried over almost unchanged 100%

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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.

Questions about Section 20

What does Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam deal with?

Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam is headed "When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant". Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in qu

How do I find court cases under Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam?

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: BSA 20, section 20 BSA, section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. People searching for it also type bsa 20 inch cycle. 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 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, and has it changed?

It carries forward IEA 22 (When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.

When did Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam come into force?

Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, cited as BSA 20, 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.