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Example
Statutory link
Exceptions / limits
Opposite / Related
Exam tip
Memory trick
Key takeaway
Nemo bis vexari debet pro una et eadem causa
| Literal meaning | No one should be troubled twice for the same cause |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | NAY-moh bis vex-AH-ree DEB-et proh OO-na et eh-AH-dem COW-za |
A person must not be tried or punished twice for the same offence. This is the idea of double jeopardy. It protects people from repeated harassment by the State.
Example
A person is acquitted of theft after a full trial. The State cannot try him again for the same theft.
Statutory link
- Article 20(2) of the Constitution: no person is prosecuted and punished for the same offence more than once.
- Section 300 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (now the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita) bars a second trial on the same facts.
Exceptions / limits
The protection applies only after a trial before a competent court ends in acquittal or conviction. A fresh trial is allowed where the earlier trial was not competent.
Exam tip
Asked as double jeopardy under Article 20(2).
Memory trick
Once tried, never tried again.
Key takeaway
A person cannot be tried twice for the same offence.
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