IEA 22→BSA 20

IEA 22 to BSA 20: When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant

Section 22 IEA (1872) replaced by Section 20 BSA (2023)

View IEA Section 22 →View BSA Section 20 →

IEA 22 to BSA 20 at a Glance

Section 22 IEA (When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant) is now Section 20 BSA, in force from 1 July 2024. Only the section number changed.

What Changed From IEA 22 to BSA 20?

Section 22 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 became Section 20 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 on 1 July 2024. No substantive change to this rule. IEA Section 22A sat beside it for electronic records and has no separate section in the BSA.

IEA 22 vs BSA 20: Comparison Table

AspectIEA 1872 (repealed)BSA 2023 (in force)
Section2220
HeadingWhen oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevantSame

IEA 22 and BSA 20: Bare Act Text Side by Side

IEA 1872 (repealed)

Section 22, IEA 1872

22. When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant.—Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in question.
BSA 2023 (in force)

Section 20, BSA 2023

20. When oral admissions as to contents of documents are relevant.—Oral admissions as to the contents of a document are not relevant, unless and until the party proposing to prove them shows that he is entitled to give secondary evidence of the contents of such document under the rules hereinafter contained, or unless the genuineness of a document produced is in question.

When It Applies: IEA 22 vs BSA 20

Under IEA 22
  1. When a party proposes to prove spoken admissions about what a document contains, Section 22 IEA makes those spoken statements irrelevant as the default rule.
  2. A party seeking to prove an oral admission about a document's contents may do so after showing an entitlement to give secondary evidence of that document under the later rules in the Act.
  3. A party may prove an oral admission about a document's contents when the document has been produced and its genuineness is disputed.
Under BSA 20
  1. When a party proposes to prove spoken admissions about what a document contains, Section 20 BSA makes those spoken statements irrelevant as the default rule.
  2. A party seeking to prove an oral admission about a document's contents may do so after showing an entitlement to give secondary evidence of that document under the later rules in the Adhiniyam.
  3. A party may prove an oral admission about a document's contents when the document has been produced and its genuineness is disputed.

What IEA 22 to BSA 20 Means in Practice

Section 22 IEA became Section 20 BSA on 1 July 2024 with identical wording, so the same rule applies with no substantive change. A party in court should cite Section 20 BSA for matters governed by the BSA. Section 22A IEA, which sat beside Section 22 IEA for electronic records, does not have a separate provision in the BSA.

FAQs: IEA 22 to BSA 20

What happened to Section 22A IEA on spoken admissions regarding electronic records?▼

Section 22A IEA sat beside Section 22 IEA to govern when oral admissions about the contents of electronic records were relevant. The BSA does not have a separate section corresponding to Section 22A IEA.

Disclaimer: This comparison is for informational purposes only. The new criminal laws came into effect on 1 July 2024. Consult a qualified advocate for legal advice.

Sources: Indian Evidence Act, 1872 · Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 ·