Section 9 IPC - Number
Section 9 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 laid down a general rule for interpreting words expressed in the singular or plural throughout the Code. This page explains the IPC position immediately before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 came into force.
Text of Section 9 IPC
Unless the contrary appears from the context, words importing the singular number include the plural number, and words importing the plural number include the singular number.
Meaning of Section 9 IPC
Section 9 was a rule of statutory interpretation. Ordinarily, a word used in the singular in the IPC could also cover the plural, while a word used in the plural could also cover the singular. This avoided the need to repeat both grammatical forms throughout the Code.
The rule was expressly qualified by the opening words, "Unless the contrary appears from the context." Therefore, the particular provision and its context remained important. Where the context required a word to carry only a singular or only a plural meaning, Section 9 did not compel the opposite construction.
Section 9 does not create an offence
Section 9 did not itself define a crime or prescribe any punishment. It formed part of the general explanations used for construing the substantive provisions of the IPC.
Related general explanations
| IPC provision | Interpretive function |
|---|---|
| Section 7 | An expression explained in one part of the Code was used throughout the Code in conformity with that explanation. |
| Section 8 | Dealt with the use of the pronoun "he" and its derivatives. |
| Section 9 | Provided the singular-and-plural interpretive rule, subject to context. |
| Section 10 | Defined the expressions "man" and "woman". |
| Section 11 | Defined "person" to include a company or association or body of persons, whether incorporated or not. |
Practical effect of the provision
When interpreting an IPC provision, Section 9 permitted grammatical number to be read flexibly unless the statutory context showed that a different reading was intended. The section therefore operated as a general drafting and construction rule across the Code rather than as an independent source of criminal liability.
This article explains Section 9 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 as it stood immediately before the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 came into force on 1 July 2024. The IPC remains relevant to matters governed by applicable repeal and saving provisions.