§ SECTION 32 · BSA 2023 · CHAPTER II — RELEVANCY OF FACTS

Relevancy of statements as to any law contained in law books, including electronic or digital form

When the Court has to form an opinion on the law of any country, section 32 makes the specified Government-authorised law books and reports of court rulings relevant, including electronic or digital forms.

How to read Section 32

“Any country” is the statutory scope. Judicial notice is a separate question.

Scope

The Court has to form an opinion on a law of any country.

Sources

A law book published under that Government’s authority, or a book purporting to report rulings of that country’s courts, including electronic or digital form.

Effect

The specified statements are relevant. Read Indian-law judicial notice separately under section 52.

The bare Act

The section in its own words — colour-keyed by what each phrase does.

Section 32 · verbatim

When the Court has to form an opinion as to a law of any country, any statement of such law contained in a book purporting to be printed or published including in electronic or digital form under the authority of the Government of such country and to contain any such law, and any report of a ruling of the Courts of such country contained in a book including in electronic or digital form purporting to be a report of such rulings, is relevant.

In short: The provision says any country, not foreign countries only. Government authority qualifies the law-book branch; reports of court rulings form the other branch. Foreign-law questions provide a common application. Indian law is ordinarily judicially noticed under section 52, but that does not rewrite the scope of section 32.

Correspondence: IEA section 38; the BSA expressly mentions electronic or digital forms.

Glossary

a law of any country

The statute does not restrict this expression to foreign law. Read judicial notice of Indian law separately under section 52.

under the authority of the Government

Published officially by or under that country’s Government — the mark of reliability.

report of a ruling

A law report — the published record of a court’s decisions in that country.

purporting to be

Appearing on its face to be the official law book or law report — the section works on that appearance.

electronic or digital form

The 2023 update — an online statute database or e-law-report counts equally with print.

is relevant

The specified statement may be used when the Court forms its opinion on that law; this does not make every assertion in every book conclusive.

The picture

Two source categories, one any-country scope; judicial notice remains a separate rule.

The section, part by part

Tap a part — the picture-story tells it first; the word-by-word text and example follow.

The ruleThe two proofs

the ruleStatements concerning the law of any country

In one lineThe specified law books and reports concerning the law of any country are relevant; print, electronic and digital forms are covered.

When the Court has to form an opinion as to a law of any country,MeaningThe Court has to form an opinion on a law of any country.

any statement of such law contained in a book purporting to be printed or published including in electronic or digital form under the authority of the Government of such countrysource 1 · official law book (print/electronic)…a statement of that law in a book published under that Government’s authority (print or digital)…

and to contain any such law,purporting to contain the law…a book purporting to contain that very law…

and any report of a ruling of the Courts of such country contained in a book including in electronic or digital form purporting to be a report of such rulings,source 2 · a law report…and any report of that country’s court rulings in a book (print or electronic) purporting to be such a report…

is relevant.MeaningThe specified statement is relevant to the Court’s opinion on that law.

ExampleIn an Indian suit turning on a contract governed by English law, English law can be shown by an official English statute book (print or digital) and by law reports of English court rulings — those books are relevant on what English law is.

Reading boundaryForeign-law disputes are a common application, not the section’s exclusive scope. Section 52 separately governs judicial notice. A private commentary must not be confused with a source satisfying either section 32 branch.

the two proofsStatute-book and law reports

In one lineSeparate Government-authorised books containing a country’s law from books reporting its courts’ rulings. Both statutory branches matter.

a book purporting to contain the law, published under the Government of that countrysource 1 · official law booka book published under that Government’s authority, purporting to contain its law — print or digital.

a book purporting to be a report of the rulings of that country’s Courtssource 2 · law reportor a book purporting to be a report of that country’s court rulings — print or digital.

ExampleTo show the law of Singapore on a point, an official Singapore statute (print or e-copy) and the Singapore Law Reports are both relevant. A foreign-law expert may also be called, but the books themselves are relevant.

Connected provisions

§ 31

Public-nature facts

Section 31 concerns specified public-nature facts; section 32 concerns statements of law in the specified books or reports, for any country.

§ 29

Public records under duty

Part of the same trusted-source run of relevancy provisions.

§ 33 · next

Statement forming part of a longer whole

The next provision in Chapter II.

lineage

IEA 1872, § 38

Carried forward — now expressly admitting electronic/digital law books and reports.

Sources and reading note

BSA sections 32 and 52: distinguish the scope of a relevancy provision from the obligation to take judicial notice.

Explanatory corrections reviewed on 24 September 2026. Statutory quotation and commentary are kept separate.