Text of the Constitution
- No person—
(a) shall be prosecuted or punished for the same offence more than once; or
(b) shall, when accused of an offence, be compelled to be a witness against
himself.
Meaning:
Article 13 of the Constitution provides protection to individuals from being dragged
into court again and again once a final verdict for that crime has been given, be it an
acquittal or penalty. In case of penalty, once the criminal has completed their
sentence, they cannot be penalised or punished for that crime again. Moreover, a
person cannot be forced to build a case against themself, which means they can’t be
forced to become a witness in their own case.
Application:
Let’s suppose someone is caught shoplifting and goes through a proper trial. They are
found guilty, they pay the fine, and they serve the sentence given by the court. Once
all of this is done, the police cannot reopen the case and punish the person again for
the crime they have already been punished for. Moreover, during the investigation
procedure, the person can’t be forced through any kind of physical or verbal abuse to
confess anything or pass any statements that will prove their guilt, as all of this would
be against the provisions of Article 13.