Lexfolio

Certificate Course on the New Criminal Laws: BNS, BNSS and BSA

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About Course

On 1 July 2024 the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA) replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. Almost every section number changed, new offences and time limits were added, and the Supreme Court has since decided a series of cases on the new provisions. This self-paced certificate course from Lexfolio teaches the new laws in plain language, with correspondence tables, worked examples and the law as on 18 October 2026.

What you will learn

  • Which law applies to older offences, pending investigations, trials, bail applications and appeals
  • The structure of the BNS, its general exceptions, the new offences and the renumbering of the core offences
  • Offences against women and children and the victim-centred procedure in the BNSS
  • FIR, zero FIR, e-FIR, preliminary enquiry, arrest safeguards, forensics and videography
  • Remand, police custody in parts, default bail, the bail sections 478 to 483, anticipatory bail and section 479
  • Trial time limits, trial in absentia, plea bargaining, electronic summons and proceedings, and mercy petitions
  • Electronic records and the section 63(4) BSA certificate, confessions, dying declarations and burden of proof
  • Supreme Court rulings on the new laws from 2024 to 2026, and the questions still open

The course has 9 modules and 25 text lessons. Each module ends with a five-question quiz with explanations, and the course closes with a 30-question final assessment that includes section-mapping and fact-based application questions.

Who it is for

  • Law students who need the new section numbers and principles for semester examinations, CLAT PG and UGC NET
  • Judiciary and APO aspirants preparing for preliminary and main examinations
  • Advocates who handle cases under both the old and the new laws
  • Police officers and investigators applying the new procedure and evidence rules
  • Compliance and corporate professionals who need a working knowledge of the new criminal laws

How the certificate works

  • Complete the lessons and module quizzes at your own pace.
  • Take the online final assessment: 30 multiple choice questions in 45 minutes. The pass mark is 60 percent.
  • On passing, you receive a certificate of completion from Lexfolio, bearing a unique certificate ID that anyone can verify online.
  • The certificate is a certificate of completion of a Lexfolio online course. It is not a degree, diploma or regulatory qualification, and it does not by itself entitle the holder to practise law or hold any post.

Please note: this course is educational material prepared by Lexfolio. It is not legal advice. For any live matter, check the current text of the law, any later notifications and the latest decisions of the Supreme Court and your High Court, and consult a qualified advocate.

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What Will You Learn?

  • Decide whether the IPC or the BNS defines an offence, and whether the CrPC or the BNSS governs a proceeding, using Article 20(1), section 358 BNS and section 531 BNSS
  • Convert the most used IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act provisions to the correct BNS, BNSS and BSA sections and sub-sections
  • Explain the new BNS offences, including organised crime, petty organised crime, terrorist act, mob lynching, snatching, section 69 and section 152, and the offences that were dropped
  • Apply the BNSS rules on zero FIR, e-FIR, preliminary enquiry, arrest safeguards and the grounds of arrest
  • Work out police custody, default bail and undertrial release under sections 187 and 479 BNSS, and choose the right bail section among sections 478 to 483
  • Use the BNSS time limits, trial in absentia, plea bargaining and electronic processes in practice and examinations
  • Prove electronic records under sections 57 to 63 BSA with a valid section 63(4) certificate, and apply the BSA rules on confessions, dying declarations and burden of proof
  • Cite and apply the key Supreme Court rulings on the new criminal laws from 2024 to 2026

Course Content

Module 1: Why the change and the transition rules
The three new criminal laws, their key dates and structure, the status of section 106(2) BNS, and the rules that decide whether the old or the new law governs an offence, an investigation, a trial or an appeal.

  • Three new laws in place of three old ones
  • Which law applies: offences, investigations and trials
  • Reading and citing the new laws correctly
  • Module 1 quiz: Transition and structure

Module 2: BNS structure, general principles and general exceptions
How the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is built: definitions, punishments (including community service), the general exceptions and the right of private defence, and the rules on joint liability, abetment, conspiracy and attempt.

Module 3: BNS new offences and the major renumbering
The genuinely new offences in the BNS (organised crime, petty organised crime, terrorist act, mob lynching, snatching and others), the replacement of sedition by section 152, the IPC offences that were dropped, and the renumbering of offences against the body and property.

Module 4: Offences against women and children
Chapter V of the BNS (sections 63 to 99): sexual offences and their punishments, the new offence of sexual intercourse by deceitful means, offences relating to modesty, marriage, dowry and cruelty, offences against children, and the victim-centred procedure in the BNSS.

Module 5: BNSS I: FIR, arrest and investigation
How a criminal case begins and is investigated under the BNSS: the FIR, zero FIR and e-FIR, the new preliminary enquiry, remedies when the police refuse to register, arrest safeguards and the grounds of arrest rulings, and the technology and forensics duties in investigation.

Module 6: BNSS II: remand, default bail and bail
Custody and liberty under the BNSS: police custody in parts and default bail under section 187, the bail scheme in sections 478 to 483 with anticipatory bail, the undertrial release rule in section 479, and bonds and sureties.

Module 7: BNSS III: cognizance, trial, timelines and technology
From cognizance to judgment under the BNSS: the hearing before cognizance on a complaint, the trial time limits, summary trials, trial in absentia of proclaimed offenders, plea bargaining, electronic summons and proceedings, victims' rights and mercy petitions.

Module 8: Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam: electronic evidence, confessions and burden of proof
The law of evidence under the BSA: electronic and digital records as evidence, the section 63 certificate and its Schedule, secondary evidence, admissions and confessions, dying declarations, burden of proof, presumptions and witnesses.

Module 9: Supreme Court on the new laws (2024 to 2026) and final revision
A consolidated digest of the Supreme Court's rulings on the BNS, BNSS and BSA from 2024 to 2026, the questions still open, and a final revision set of conversions, numbers and common mistakes before the final assessment.

Final Assessment and Certificate
Pass the final assessment with 60% or more to receive your certificate of completion. You have 3 attempts.

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