Confidential communication with legal advisers.
What this section does
No person can be compelled to disclose confidential communications with their legal adviser to the court. However, if the person offers himself as a witness, the court may compel disclosure of only those communications necessary to explain the evidence he has given.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
The rule in one line
Confidential legal-adviser communications are privileged unless the holder becomes a witness, in which case only communications necessary to explain his evidence may be compelled.
When it applies
- A defendant who does not testify cannot be ordered to reveal what he told his solicitor in confidence.
- A party who takes the stand may be required to disclose a communication with his legal adviser if it is necessary to clarify testimony he has already given.
Derived from IEA s.129.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BSA Section 134, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BSA Section 134 forms part of Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam which replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872 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.