Legal aid to accused at State expense in certain cases.
What this section does
Where an accused in a trial or appeal before a Court is unrepresented and lacks sufficient means to engage an advocate, the Court shall assign a State-funded advocate for his defence. The High Court may, with prior State Government approval, frame rules on selection, facilities, and fees for such advocates. The State Government may by notification extend these provisions to classes of trials before courts other than Courts of Session.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Procedure at a glance
- Key actors
- Court · Accused · Advocate · High Court · State Government
Derived from CrPC s.304.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 341, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNSS Section 341 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.