Section 27 CrPC: Jurisdiction in the case of juveniles

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 27 CrPC at a Glance

Section 27 CrPC dealt with jurisdiction in the case of juveniles. It has no corresponding section in the BNSS, which replaced the CrPC from 1 July 2024.

What Section 27 CrPC Says

27. Jurisdiction in the case of juveniles

Any offence not punishable with death or imprisonment for life, committed by any person who at the date when he appears or is brought before the Court is under the age of sixteen years, may be tried by the Court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate, or by any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960 (60 of 1960), or any other law for the time being in force providing for the treatment, training and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

Source: Section 27, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 27 CrPC in Simple Words

Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 dealt with court jurisdiction in the case of juveniles.

Where a person committed an offence not punishable with death or imprisonment for life, and that person was under the age of sixteen years on the date when he appeared or was brought before the Court, Section 27 CrPC provided that the offence may be tried by the Court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate.

Alternatively, the offence may be tried by any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960, or under any other law for the time being in force providing for the treatment, training and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

When Section 27 CrPC Applies

  • Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 applies only when the alleged offence does not carry a punishment of death or imprisonment for life.
  • The accused person must be under the age of sixteen years on the specific date when he appears or is brought before the Court.
  • When the age and offence conditions are satisfied, the Court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate may try the case under Section 27 CrPC.
  • The case may alternatively be tried by any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960, or under any other law for the time being in force providing for the treatment, training and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

Example of Section 27 CrPC

Aarav commits an offence that is not punishable with death or imprisonment for life. On the date when Aarav appears before the Court, he is under the age of sixteen years. Because the conditions of Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 are met, the offence committed by Aarav may be tried under Section 27 CrPC by the Court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate, or by any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960, or any other law for the time being in force providing for the treatment, training and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

When Section 27 CrPC Does Not Apply

  • Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 does not apply where the offence committed is punishable with death or imprisonment for life.
  • Section 27 CrPC does not apply where the person who committed the offence is not under the age of sixteen years at the date when he appears or is brought before the Court.

No Corresponding BNSS Section

No BNSS section

Section 27 CrPC has no counterpart in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

FAQs on Section 27 CrPC

Which courts had jurisdiction to try a juvenile under Section 27 CrPC?▼

Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 provided that an eligible offence committed by a juvenile may be tried by the Court of a Chief Judicial Magistrate. The offence may also be tried by any Court specially empowered under the Children Act, 1960, or by a Court specially empowered under any other law for the time being in force providing for the treatment, training and rehabilitation of youthful offenders.

What was the age limit and the relevant date for checking age under Section 27 CrPC?▼

For Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to apply, the person who committed the offence had to be under the age of sixteen years. Under Section 27 CrPC, this age requirement was checked at the date when the person appeared or was brought before the Court, provided the offence was not punishable with death or imprisonment for life.

Did Section 27 CrPC apply to offences punishable with death or imprisonment for life?▼

No. Section 27 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 applied only to an offence not punishable with death or imprisonment for life. If the offence committed was punishable with death or imprisonment for life, it fell outside the scope of Section 27 CrPC even if the person was under the age of sixteen years at the date when he appeared or was brought before the Court.

What replaced Section 27 CrPC when the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 came into force?▼

The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 stood in force until 30 June 2024 and was replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. The official comparison tables between the Code and the Sanhita list no BNSS section for Section 27 CrPC, and the Sanhita has no section in place of Section 27 CrPC.

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Sources: Bare Act Text, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 · Last updated: 22 Oct 2026 ·