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28/08/2025
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898

( ACT NO. V OF 1898 )

Chapter XXXII

OF REFERENCE AND REVISION

& 433. Omitted
432 and 433. [Omitted by Schedule of the Adaptation of Central Acts and Ordinances Order, 1949.]
Omitted
434. [Omitted by section 6 of the Criminal Procedure Amendment Act, 1943 (Act No. XXVI of 1943).]
Power to call for records of inferior Courts
435.(1) The High Court Division or any Sessions Judge, 1[***] may call for and examine the record of any proceeding before any inferior Criminal Court situate within the local limits of its or his jurisdiction for the purpose of satisfying itself or himself as to the correctness, legality or propriety of any finding, sentence or order recorded or passed, and as to the regularity of any proceedings of such inferior Court and may, when calling for such record, direct that the execution of any sentence be suspended and, if the accused is in confinement, that he be released on bail or on his own bond pending the examination of the record.
 
 
Explanation-All Magistrates, 2[whether Executive or Judicial,] shall be deemed to be inferior to the Sessions Judge for the purposes of this sub-section 3[* * *].
 
 
4[***]
 
 
(3) [Repealed by section 116 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1923 (Act No. XVIII of 1923).]
 
 
5[***]
Power to order inquiry
436. On examining any record under section 435 or otherwise, the High Court Division or the Sessions Judge may direct the 6[Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or 7[Chief Judicial Magistrate]] by himself or by any of the Magistrates subordinate to him to make, and the 38[Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or 9[Chief Judicial Magistrate]] may himself make, or direct any Sub-ordinate Magistrate to make, further inquiry into any complaint which has been dismissed under section 203 or sub-section (3) of section 204, or into the case of any person accused of an offence who has been discharged:
 
 
Provided that no Court shall make any direction under this section for inquiry into the case of any person who has been discharged unless such person has had an opportunity of showing cause why such direction should not be made.
Omitted
437. [Omitted by section 2 and Schedule of the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1978 (Ordinance No. XLIX of 1978).]
Omitted
10[***]
High Court Division's powers of revision
439.(1) In the case of any proceeding the record of which has been called for by itself or which has been reported for orders, or which otherwise comes to its knowledge, the High Court Division may, in its discretion, exercise any of the powers conferred on a Court of Appeal by sections 423, 426, 427 and 428 or on a Court by section 338, and may enhance the sentence; and, when the Judges composing the Court of Revision are equally divided in opinion, the case shall be disposed of in manner provided by section 429.
 
 
(2) No order under this section shall be made to the prejudice of the accused unless he has had an opportunity of being heard either personally or by pleader in his own defence.
 
 
(3) Where the sentence dealt with under this section has been passed by a Magistrate 11[* * *], the Court shall not inflict a greater punishment for the offence which, in the opinion of such Court, the accused has committed than might have been inflicted for such offence by 12[a Metropolitan Magistrate or] a Magistrate of the first class.
 
 
13[(4) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to authorize the High Court Division to convert a finding of acquittal into one of conviction, or to entertain any proceedings in revision with respect to an order made by the Sessions Judge under section 439A].
 
 
(5) Where under this Code an appeal lies and no appeal is brought, no proceedings by way of revision shall be entertained at the instance of the party who could have appealed.
 
 
(6) Notwithstanding anything contained in this section, any convicted person to whom an opportunity has been given under sub-section (2) of showing cause why his sentence should not be enhanced shall, in showing cause, be entitled also to show cause against his conviction.
Sessions Judge's powers of revision
14[439A.(1) In the case of any proceeding the record of which has been called for by himself or which otherwise comes to his knowledge, the Sessions Judge may exercise all or any of the powers which may be exercised by the High Court Division under section 439.
 
 
(2) Where any application for revision is made by or on behalf of any person before the Sessions Judge, the decision of the Sessions Judge thereon in relation to such person shall be final.
 
 
(3) An Additional Sessions Judge shall have and may exercise all powers of a Sessions Judge under this Chapter in respect of any case which may be transferred to him under any general or special order of the Sessions Judge.]
Optional with Court to hear parties
440. No party has any right to be heard either personally or by pleader before any Court when exercising its powers of revision:
 
 
 
 
Provided that the Court may, if it thinks fit, when exercising such powers, hear any party either personally or by pleader, and that nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect section 439, sub-section (2).
Omitted
441. [Omitted by Schedule of the Adaptation of Central Acts and Ordinances Order, 1949.]
High Court Division's order to be certified to lower Court or Magistrate
442. When a case is revised under this Chapter by the High Court Division, it shall, in manner hereinbefore provided by section 425, certify its decision or order to the Court by which the finding, sentence or order revised was recorded or passed, and the Court or Magistrate to which the decision or order is so certified shall thereupon make such orders as are conformable to the decision so certified; and, if necessary, the record shall be amended in accordance therewith.
 
 
 
 

  • 1
    The words and comma “Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or District Magistrate, or any Sub-divisional Magistrate empowered by Government in this behalf” were omitted by section 83(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 2
    The words and comma “Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or District Magistrate, or any Sub-divisional Magistrate empowered by Government in this behalf” were omitted by section 83(a) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 3
    The words "to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or" were inserted by the Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. LXXXVI of 1976)
  • 4
    Sub-section (2) was omitted by section 83(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 5
    Sub-section (4) was omitted by section 83(b) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 6
    The words "Chief Metropolitan Magistrate" were substituted, for the words "District Magistrate" by the Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. LXXXVI of 1976)
  • 7
    The words “Chief Judicial Magistrate” were substituted for the words “District Magistrate” by section 84 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 8
    The words "Chief Metropolitan Magistrate" were substituted, for the words "District Magistrate" by the Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. LXXXVI of 1976)
  • 9
    The words “Chief Judicial Magistrate” were substituted for the words “District Magistrate” by section 84 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 10
    Section 438 was omitted by section 85 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
  • 11
    The words and figure "acting otherwise than under section 34" were omitted by section 2 and Schedule of the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1978 (Ordinance No. XLIX of 1978)
  • 12
    The letter and words "a Metropolitan Magistrate or" were inserted by the Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. LXXXVI of 1976)
  • 13
    Sub-section (4) was substituted for sub-section (4) by section 2 and Schedule of the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1978 (Ordinance No. XLIX of 1978)
  • 14
    Section 439A was inserted by section 2 and Schedule of the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1978 (Ordinance No. XLIX of 1978)
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