BNSS · Section 340 · Chapter XXVI — GENERAL PROVISIONS AS TO INQUIRIES AND TRIALS

Right of person against whom proceedings are instituted to be defended.

What this section does

Any person accused of an offence before a Criminal Court, or against whom proceedings are instituted under the Sanhita, has the right to be defended by an advocate of their own choice.

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

Procedure at a glance

Key actors: Accused · Advocate · Criminal Court

Old-law correspondence

Derived from CrPC s.303.

Read the official text

For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 340, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.

Why this matters

BNSS Section 340 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.