BNSS · Section 3 · Chapter I — PRELIMINARY

Construction of references.

What this section does

This section provides rules for construing references to 'Magistrate' in other laws, directing that such references be read as references to Judicial Magistrates of the appropriate class. It further distinguishes between functions that are judicial in nature (to be exercised by Judicial Magistrates) and those that are administrative or executive in nature (to be exercised by Executive Magistrates).

AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).

Procedure at a glance

Key actors: Judicial Magistrate · Executive Magistrate

Old-law correspondence

Derived from CrPC s.3.

Read the official text

For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 3, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.

Why this matters

BNSS Section 3 forms part of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.