Section 20 BNSS: Directorate of Prosecution

Section 20 BNSS Bare Act Text

(1) The State Government may establish,—

(a) a Directorate of Prosecution in the State consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit; and

(b) a District Directorate of Prosecution in every district consisting of as many Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of Prosecution, as it thinks fit.

(2) A person shall be eligible to be appointed,—

(a) as a Director of Prosecution or a Deputy Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than fifteen years or is or has been a Sessions Judge;

(b) as an Assistant Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than seven years or has been a Magistrate of the first class.

(3) The Directorate of Prosecution shall be headed by the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the Home Department in the State.

(4) Every Deputy Director of Prosecution or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution; and every Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.

(5) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (1) or sub-section (8) of section 18 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(6) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (3) or sub-section (8) of section 18 to conduct cases in District Courts and every Assistant Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section (1) of section 19 shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution or the Assistant Director of Prosecution.

(7) The powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for ten years or more, or with life imprisonment, or with death; to expedite the proceedings and to give opinion on filing of appeals.

(8) The powers and functions of the Deputy Director of Prosecution shall be to examine and scrutinise police report and monitor the cases in which offences are punishable for seven years or more, but less than ten years, for ensuring their expeditious disposal.

(9) The functions of the Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for less than seven years.

(10) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (7), (8) and (9), the Director, Deputy Director or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall have the power to deal with and be responsible for all proceedings under this Sanhita.

(11) The other powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution and the areas for which each of the Deputy Directors of Prosecution or Assistant Directors of Prosecution have been appointed shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.

(12) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor.

Source: Section 20, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Section 20 BNSS in Simple Words

When Section 20 BNSS Applies

• Under Section 20(1)(a) BNSS, the State Government may establish a Directorate of Prosecution in the State consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit.
• Under Section 20(1)(b) BNSS, the State Government may establish a District Directorate of Prosecution in every district consisting of as many Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of Prosecution, as it thinks fit.
• Under Section 20(2)(a) BNSS, a person shall be eligible to be appointed as a Director of Prosecution or a Deputy Director of Prosecution, if he has practised as an advocate for not less than fifteen years or is or has been a Sessions Judge.
• Under Section 20(2)(b) BNSS, a person shall be eligible to be appointed as an Assistant Director of Prosecution, if he has practised as an advocate for not less than seven years or has been a Magistrate of the first class.
• Under Section 20(3) BNSS, the Directorate of Prosecution shall be headed by the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the Home Department in the State.
• Under Section 20(4) BNSS, every Deputy Director of Prosecution or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution, and every Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.
• Under Section 20(5) BNSS, every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under Section 18(1) BNSS or Section 18(8) BNSS to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.
• Under Section 20(6) BNSS, every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under Section 18(3) BNSS or Section 18(8) BNSS to conduct cases in District Courts, and every Assistant Public Prosecutor appointed under Section 19(1) BNSS, shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution or the Assistant Director of Prosecution.
• Under Section 20(7) BNSS, the powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for ten years or more, or with life imprisonment, or with death; to expedite the proceedings and to give opinion on filing of appeals.
• Under Section 20(8) BNSS, the powers and functions of the Deputy Director of Prosecution shall be to examine and scrutinise police report and monitor the cases in which offences are punishable for seven years or more, but less than ten years, for ensuring their expeditious disposal.
• Under Section 20(9) BNSS, the functions of the Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for less than seven years.
• Under Section 20(10) BNSS, notwithstanding anything contained in Section 20(7) BNSS, Section 20(8) BNSS and Section 20(9) BNSS, the Director, Deputy Director or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall have the power to deal with and be responsible for all proceedings under this Sanhita.
• Under Section 20(11) BNSS, the other powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution, and the areas for which each of the Deputy Directors of Prosecution or Assistant Directors of Prosecution have been appointed, shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.
• Under Section 20(12) BNSS, Section 20 BNSS shall not apply to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor.

Example of Section 20 BNSS

When Section 20 BNSS Does Not Apply

• Section 20 BNSS speaks of the Directorate of Prosecution. It does not deal with the appointment of a Public Prosecutor for the High Court, which Section 18 BNSS speaks of.
• Section 20 BNSS speaks of the Directorate of Prosecution. It does not deal with the appointment of an Assistant Public Prosecutor, which Section 19 BNSS speaks of.

Section 20 BNSS in the CrPC (Previous Law)

FAQs on Section 20 BNSS

Section 20 BNSS: Sub-sections Explained