Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973
353.Judgment.-
(1) The judgment is every trial in any Criminal
Court of original jurisdiction shall be pronounced in open Court by the
presiding officer immediately after the termination of the trial or at some
subsequent time of which notice shall be given to the parties or their
pleaders, -
(a) by delivering the whole of the judgment; or
(b) by reading out the whole of the judgment; or
(c) by reading out the operative part of the judgment and explaining the
substance of the judgment in a language which is understood by the accused or
his pleader.
(2) Where the judgment is delivered under
clause (a) of sub-section (1), the presiding officer shall cause it to be taken
down in short-hand , sign the transcript and every page thereof as soon as it
is made ready, and write on it the date of the delivery of the judgment in open
Court.
(3) Where the judgment or the operative part thereof is read out under clause
(b) or clause (c) or sub-section (1), as the case may be, it shall be dated and
signed by the presiding officer in Open Court , and if it is not
written with his own hand, every page of the judgment shall be signed by him.
(4) Where the judgment is pronounced in the manner specified in clause (c) of
sub-section (1), the whole judgment or a copy thereof shall be immediately made
available for the perusal of the parties or their pleaders free of cost.
(5) If the accused is in custody, he shall be brought up to hear the judgment
pronounced.
(6) If the accused is not in custody, he shall be required by the Court to
attend to hear the judgment pronounced, except where his personal attendance
during the trial has been dispensed with and the sentence is one of fine only
or he is acquitted:
Provided that, where there are more accused than one, and one or more of
them do not attend the Court on the date on which the judgment is to be
pronounced, the presiding officer may, in order to avoid undue delay in the
disposal of the case, pronounce the judgment notwithstanding their absence.
(7) No judgment delivered by any Criminal Court shall be deemed to be invalid
by reason only of the absence of any party or his pleader on the day or from
the place notified for the delivery thereof, or of any omission to serve, or
defect in serving, on the parties or their pleaders, or any of them, the notice
of such day and place.
(8) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit in any way the extent
of the provisions of section 465.