Article 20

Part III — Fundamental Rights · Constitution of India

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 charged as an offence, nor be subjected to a penalty greater than that which might have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence. (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.

In plain wordsThree protections for anyone accused of a crime. You cannot be punished under a law that did not exist when you acted, you cannot be tried and punished twice for the same offence, and you cannot be forced to testify against yourself.

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