Section 10 IPC - Man and Woman
Section 10 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 defined the expressions "man" and "woman" for the purposes of the Code. This article explains the provision as it stood immediately before implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Section 10 of Indian Penal Code 1860
Meaning and scope of Section 10 IPC
Section 10 was a definition provision in Chapter II of the IPC. Its purpose was to assign a statutory meaning to the words "man" and "woman" wherever those expressions were used in the Code, subject to the context and the general rules governing IPC definitions.
The definition was age-inclusive. A "man" under Section 10 meant a male human being of any age, and a "woman" meant a female human being of any age. The provision therefore did not confine either expression to an adult person.
Why Section 10 was important
- Statutory definition: It supplied the meaning of two expressions used in the IPC.
- No minimum age: The words "of any age" made the definitions applicable without an adulthood requirement.
- Read with Chapter II: Section 10 formed part of the IPC's general explanations and definitions and was to be understood with other interpretive provisions in that chapter.
- Not a punishment provision: Section 10 itself did not create an offence or prescribe a sentence. It defined terminology used elsewhere in the Code.
Related IPC definitions
For interpretation of the IPC, Section 10 should be read alongside nearby general definitions, particularly the provisions concerning gender, number and person.
Pre-BNS position and continuing relevance
This article records the law under Section 10 IPC before implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Although the IPC has been repealed, the BNS contains repeal and savings provisions concerning the previous operation of the IPC, liabilities and punishments incurred under it, and specified investigations, proceedings and remedies. Accordingly, the IPC text may remain relevant when dealing with matters governed by those savings.