Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 420
Appeal against conviction by High Court in certain cases
Where the High Court has, on appeal, reversed an order of acquittal of an accused person and convicted him and sentenced him to death or to imprisonment for life or to imprisonment for a term of ten years or more, he may appeal to the Supreme Court.
Why this exists
When a High Court flips an acquittal into a serious conviction and a heavy sentence, the person is facing their first-ever finding of guilt at the appellate stage, with severe consequences and no prior appellate check on that specific finding. This section ensures such a significant reversal doesn't become the final word without giving the person one more level of review, at the Supreme Court, given how much has changed in their legal situation. It continues section 379 of the CrPC, 1973.