Article 20: Protection in Respect of Conviction for Offences - UPSC detailed Notes

Article 20: Protection in Respect of Conviction for Offences - UPSC detailed Notes

Article 20 of the Indian Constitution Article 20 – Protection in Respect of Conviction for Offences (1) No person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of a law in force at the time of the commission of the act, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than that prescribed by that law. (2) No person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once. (3) No person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself. Now, let’s explain each clause in simple terms! 1. No Ex Post Facto Law (Article 20(1)) 📜 What it means: A person cannot be punished for an act that was not illegal when they did it. If a law is passed later , it cannot be used to punish past actions. 🔍 Clause has 2 parts: (i) No person shall be convicted for an act unless it was a crime when it was done. 👉 You cannot be punished for doing something that was  not a crime  at the time you did it. (ii) No person shall be given a greater punishment than what was prescribed when the ac…