Section 14 CrPC: Local jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 14 CrPC at a Glance

Section 14 CrPC deals with local jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates. From 1 July 2024 it is replaced by Section 12 BNSS.

Now BNSS

Section 12 →

What Section 14 CrPC Says

14. Local jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates
(1) Subject to the control of the High Court, the Chief Judicial Magistrate may, from time to time, define the local limits of the areas within which the Magistrates appointed under section 11 or under section 13 may exercise all or any of the powers with which they may respectively be invested under this Code:
Provided that the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate may hold its sitting at any place within the local area for which it is established.
(2) Except as otherwise provided by such definition, the jurisdiction and powers of every such Magistrate shall extend throughout the district.
(3) Where the local jurisdiction of a Magistrate, appointed under section 11 or section 13 or section 18, extends to an area beyond the district, or the metropolitan area, as the case may be, in which he ordinarily holds Court, any reference in this Code to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate or the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate shall, in relation to such Magistrate, throughout the area within his local jurisdiction, be construed, unless the context otherwise requires, as a reference to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate, or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, as the case may be, exercising jurisdiction in relation to the said district or metropolitan area.

Source: Section 14, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 14 CrPC in Simple Words

Section 14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 deals with the local jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates. Subject to the control of the High Court, the Chief Judicial Magistrate may, from time to time, define the local limits within which Magistrates appointed under Section 11 CrPC or Section 13 CrPC may exercise their powers.

A Court of Special Judicial Magistrate may sit at any place within the local area for which it is established. Except as the definition provides otherwise, the jurisdiction and powers of every such Magistrate extend throughout the district.

Where the local jurisdiction of a Magistrate reaches beyond the district or metropolitan area in which the Magistrate ordinarily holds Court, references in the Code to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate are read, unless the context otherwise requires, as references to those of that district or metropolitan area.

When Section 14 CrPC Applies

Subject to the control of the High Court, the Chief Judicial Magistrate may, from time to time, define the local limits of the areas within which Magistrates appointed under Section 11 or Section 13 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 may exercise all or any of the powers with which they are invested.
Under the proviso to Section 14(1) CrPC, the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate may hold its sitting at any place within the local area for which it is established.
Under Section 14(2) CrPC, except as otherwise provided by the definition made under Section 14(1) CrPC, the jurisdiction and powers of every Magistrate appointed under Section 11 CrPC or Section 13 CrPC shall extend throughout the district.
When the local jurisdiction of a Magistrate appointed under Section 11 CrPC, Section 13 CrPC or Section 18 CrPC extends beyond the district or metropolitan area in which the Magistrate ordinarily holds Court, references in the Code to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate shall, throughout that local jurisdiction and unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as references to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate exercising jurisdiction in relation to that district or metropolitan area.

Example of Section 14 CrPC

Ramesh is appointed as a Magistrate under Section 11 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. No local limits have been defined for Ramesh, so under Section 14(2) CrPC the jurisdiction and powers of Ramesh extend throughout the district. Later, subject to the control of the High Court, the Chief Judicial Magistrate defines local limits for Ramesh under Section 14(1) CrPC, and Ramesh then exercises those powers within those limits. Separately, Meera is appointed under Section 13 CrPC with local jurisdiction extending beyond the district in which Meera ordinarily holds Court. Under Section 14(3) CrPC, unless the context otherwise requires, a reference in the Code to the Court of Session is read, throughout that local jurisdiction, as a reference to the Court of Session of the district in which Meera ordinarily holds Court.

When Section 14 CrPC Does Not Apply

The power of the Chief Judicial Magistrate to define local limits under Section 14(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 does not apply where the officer is not a Magistrate appointed under Section 11 or under Section 13 CrPC.
District-wide extension of jurisdiction and powers under Section 14(2) CrPC does not apply to the extent that the Chief Judicial Magistrate's definition under Section 14(1) CrPC provides otherwise.
The rule in Section 14(3) CrPC for construing references to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate, or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate does not apply when the local jurisdiction of a Magistrate appointed under Section 11, Section 13, or Section 18 CrPC does not extend to an area beyond the district or metropolitan area in which the Magistrate ordinarily holds Court.
The construction of references to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate, or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate under Section 14(3) CrPC does not apply where the context in the Code otherwise requires.

Section 14 CrPC Under BNSS 12: What Changed

Section 14 CrPC is now covered under Section 12 BNSS.

Section 14 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 became Section 12 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The power of the Chief Judicial Magistrate to define local limits subject to the control of the High Court, the proviso on sittings of the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate, and the district-wide jurisdiction in Section 12(2) BNSS keep the CrPC text. Section 12 BNSS refers to Section 9 BNSS and Section 11 BNSS in place of Section 11 CrPC and Section 13 CrPC, and to the Sanhita in place of the Code. Section 12(3) BNSS does not mention Section 18 CrPC, the metropolitan area or the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate.

View detailed comparison (CrPC 14 vs BNSS 12) →

FAQs on Section 14 CrPC

Who has the power to define the local limits of Judicial Magistrates under Section 14 CrPC?▼

Under Section 14(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Chief Judicial Magistrate may from time to time define the local limits of the areas within which Magistrates appointed under Section 11 CrPC or Section 13 CrPC may exercise all or any of the powers with which they may respectively be invested under the Code. This power of the Chief Judicial Magistrate is exercised subject to the control of the High Court.

Where may a Court of Special Judicial Magistrate sit, and how far does the jurisdiction of a Magistrate extend under Section 14 CrPC?▼

Under the proviso to Section 14(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate may hold its sitting at any place within the local area for which it is established. Under Section 14(2) CrPC, except as otherwise provided by the definition of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the jurisdiction and powers of every Magistrate appointed under Section 11 CrPC or Section 13 CrPC shall extend throughout the district.

How are references to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate construed under Section 14(3) CrPC when a Magistrate's local jurisdiction extends beyond the district or metropolitan area?▼

When the local jurisdiction of a Magistrate appointed under Section 11, Section 13, or Section 18 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 extends beyond the district or metropolitan area where the Magistrate ordinarily holds Court, Section 14(3) CrPC applies. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in the Code to the Court of Session, Chief Judicial Magistrate, or Chief Metropolitan Magistrate shall throughout that local jurisdiction be construed as a reference to that of the said district or metropolitan area.

Where is the provision corresponding to Section 14 CrPC found from 1 July 2024?▼

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. Section 14 CrPC is found in Section 12 BNSS, on the local jurisdiction of Judicial Magistrates. Section 14(1) CrPC, with its proviso, maps to Section 12(1) BNSS, Section 14(2) CrPC maps to Section 12(2) BNSS, and Section 14(3) CrPC maps to Section 12(3) BNSS.

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Sources: Bare Act Text, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 · Last updated: 21 Oct 2026 ·