Section 402Procedural
Special reasons to be recorded in certain cases
Full Text
Where in any case the Court could have dealt with,—
- (a) an accused person under section 401 or under the provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1958; or
- (b) a youthful offender under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 or any other law for the time being in force for the treatment, training or rehabilitation of youthful offenders,
but has not done so, it shall record in its judgment the special reasons for not having done so.
Plain English Summary
Mandates that courts must record specific reasons if they choose not to grant probation or rehabilitative benefits to eligible offenders.
Key Legal Elements
- Applies when Section 401 or Probation/JJ Acts are applicable
- Court chooses regular punishment over rehabilitation
- Mandatory recording of 'special reasons' for refusal
- Ensures judicial accountability in sentencing
Practical Note
This section makes rehabilitation the legislative preference. If a judge decides to send an eligible first-time offender to prison instead of granting probation, the lack of 'special reasons' in the judgment becomes a strong ground for appeal.
हिंदी पाठ
जहां किसी मामले में न्यायालय—
- (क) धारा 401 के अधीन या 'अपराधी परिवीक्षा अधिनियम, 1958' के उपबंधों के अधीन किसी अभियुक्त व्यक्ति के साथ; या
- (ख) 'किशोर न्याय (बालकों की देखरेख और संरक्षण) अधिनियम, 2015' या किशोर अपराधियों के उपचार, प्रशिक्षण या पुनर्वास के लिए तत्समय प्रवृत्त किसी अन्य विधि के अधीन किसी युवा अपराधी के साथ,
कार्यवाही कर सकता था, किंतु उसने ऐसा नहीं किया है, तो वह ऐसा न करने के विशेष कारणों को अपने निर्णय में अभिलिखित करेगा।