Act of a child above seven and under twelve of immature understanding
Full Text
21. Act of a child above seven and under twelve of immature understanding.
Nothing is an offence which is done by a child above seven years of age and under twelve years of age, who has not attained sufficient maturity of understanding to judge of the nature and consequences of his conduct on that occasion.
Plain English Summary
This section protects children aged 7 to 12 from criminal liability if they lack the maturity of understanding to judge the nature and consequences of their conduct.
Key Legal Elements
- Applies to children between seven and twelve years of age.
- Requires that the child has not attained sufficient maturity of understanding.
- The child must be unable to judge the nature and consequences of their conduct on that specific occasion.
Practical Note
This replaces IPC Section 83. It represents a rebuttable presumption of doli incapax. Unlike Section 20, here maturity of understanding must be assessed based on the facts of the case.
हिंदी पाठ
21. सात वर्ष से ऊपर और बारह वर्ष से कम आयु के अपरिपक्व समझ वाले बच्चे का कार्य।
कोई बात अपराध नहीं है जो सात वर्ष से अधिक और बारह वर्ष से कम आयु के ऐसे बच्चे द्वारा की जाती है, जिसने यह समझने के लिए पर्याप्त परिपक्वता प्राप्त नहीं की है कि वह उस अवसर पर अपने आचरण की प्रकृति और परिणामों का आकलन कर सके।