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Section129
The Indian Evidence Act, 1872

Confidential communications with legal advisers

Repealed From 01 Sep 1872 Act 1 of 1872 As on 16 Oct 2026

Act 1 of 1872 Ministry Law and Justice Enacted 15 Mar 1872 In force 01 Sep 1872

This provision is repealed. Repealed by section 170 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024. It is reproduced because conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.

Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 deals with confidential communications with legal advisers. No one shall be compelled to disclose to the Court any confidential communication which has taken place between him and his legal professional adviser, unless he offers himself as a witness, in which case he may be compelled to disclose any such communications as may appear to the Court necessary to The Act came into force on 01 Sep 1872. Repealed by section 170 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (47 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.

No one shall be compelled to disclose to the Court any confidential communication which has taken place between him and his legal professional adviser, unless he offers himself as a witness, in which case he may be compelled to disclose any such communications as may appear to the Court necessary to be known in order to explain any evidence which he has given, but no others.

Section 129, The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (Act 1 of 1872).

Now in the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam

BSA 134 Confidential communication with legal advisers Text carried over almost unchanged 93%

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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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 129

What does Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act deal with?

Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act is headed "Confidential communications with legal advisers". No one shall be compelled to disclose to the Court any confidential communication which has taken place between him and his legal professional adviser, unless he offers himself as a witness, in which case he may be compelled to disclose any such communications as may appear to the Court necessary to

How do I find court cases under Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act?

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: IEA 129, section 129 IEA, section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act. 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 129 of the Indian Evidence Act, and has it changed?

For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BSA 134 (Confidential communication with legal advisers), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.

When did Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act come into force?

Section 129 of the Indian Evidence Act, cited as IEA 129, came into force on 01 Sep 1872, having been enacted on 15 Mar 1872. It is no longer in force.

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. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item e51341fa-7528-4327-9a57-5d194e16db6f). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.