154 exam-style questions on this chapter, written from the actual legal text and tagged for UPSC, Judiciary and CLAT. Five are shown below with answers and explanations — the rest are in the free interactive drill.
Q1 · easy · BNS S.14
What is the core principle contained in Section 14 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law)?
- A.An act done by a person who is actually bound by law, or who in good faith by reason of a mistake of fact believes himself to be bound by law, is not an offence.✓ correct
- B.Any act done under orders from a superior officer is not an offence.
- C.Mistake of law provides a defence if the person honestly believed the law required the act.
- D.Only public officers are protected when they act under a belief of being bound by law.
Why: Section 14 states that nothing is an offence if done by a person who is, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not of law in good faith believes himself to be, bound by law to do it. This protects both actual legal duty and a good-faith mistake of fact about being bound by law.
Read Section 14 — Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law →Q2 · easy · BNS S.14
Which type of mistake does Section 14 explicitly exclude from the defence?
- A.A mistake of fact, if not in good faith.
- B.A mistake of law; the provision distinguishes mistake of fact from mistake of law.✓ correct
- C.Either mistake of fact or mistake of law are excluded.
- D.Both mistakes of fact and law are acceptable defences under the Section.
Why: Section 14 says the protection applies where the belief is by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law. Thus a mistake of law is explicitly excluded from the defence.
Read Section 14 — Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law →Q3 · medium · BNS S.14
Which of the following describes the situation in illustration (a) and its legal consequence under Section 14?
- A.A soldier fires on a mob of his own volition and is guilty because private intent matters.
- B.A soldier fires on a mob by the order of his superior officer, in conformity with the commands of the law, and has committed no offence.✓ correct
- C.A soldier who follows any superior officer's order is always immune from offence.
- D.A soldier fires on a mob because of a mistake of law and is protected under Section 14.
Why: Illustration (a) states that A, a soldier, fires on a mob by the order of his superior officer, in conformity with the commands of the law, and A has committed no offence. Protection applies where the act conforms with legal commands, not merely any order or a mistake of law.
Read Section 14 — Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law →Q4 · medium · BNS S.14
In illustration (b) the officer arrests Z after "due enquiry" believing Z to be Y. What legal point does this illustration demonstrate under Section 14?
- A.An officer who arrests the wrong person is always guilty of an offence.
- B.An officer is protected only if the arrested person later turns out to be the correct person.
- C.An officer who, after due enquiry, in good faith believes Z to be Y and arrests Z has committed no offence.✓ correct
- D.Due enquiry converts a mistake of law into a mistake of fact, so the officer is protected.
Why: Illustration (b) shows that A, an officer of a Court, being ordered to arrest Y and, after due enquiry, believing Z to be Y, arrests Z and has committed no offence. It demonstrates protection where a good-faith mistake of fact occurs after inquiry; it does not say mistake of law is converted.
Read Section 14 — Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law →Q5 · hard · BNS S.14
Which requirement is essential for Section 14's protection when the belief that one is bound by law arises from a mistake of fact?
- A.The belief need only be honestly held; good faith is not required.
- B.Protection applies even if the belief arises from a mistake of law.
- C.The belief must be held in good faith; absence of good faith would remove the protection.✓ correct
- D.Section 14 requires that the person must have acted without any enquiry into facts.
Why: Section 14 requires that the belief (when founded on a mistake of fact) be held "in good faith". Therefore protection does not apply if the belief is not in good faith; the provision also excludes mistakes of law.
Read Section 14 — Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law →149 more questions on General Exceptions
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