Act causing slight harm
Full Text
33. Act causing slight harm.
Nothing is an offence by reason that it causes, or that it is intended to cause, or that it is known to be likely to cause, any harm, if that harm is so slight that no person of ordinary sense and temper would complain of such harm.
Plain English Summary
This section establishes the de minimis rule, stating that acts causing extremely slight or trivial harm are not offences.
Key Legal Elements
- The harm caused, intended, or likely to be caused must be extremely slight.
- The harm must be so insignificant that no person of ordinary sense and temper would complain of it.
Practical Note
This replaces IPC Section 95. It codifies the maxim “de minimis non curat lex” (the law does not care about trifles). It prevents courts from being clogged with trivial disputes like minor bumps in crowds.
हिंदी पाठ
33. तुच्छ (मामूली) अपहानि कारित करने वाला कार्य।
कोई बात इस कारण अपराध नहीं है कि उससे कोई अपहानि (नुकसान) होती है, या कारित करने का आशय है, या जिसके बारे में ज्ञात हो कि उससे अपहानि होना संभाव्य है, यदि वह अपहानि इतनी तुच्छ है कि साधारण समझ और स्वभाव वाला कोई भी व्यक्ति ऐसी अपहानि की शिकायत नहीं करेगा।