The short answer
“In this behalf” means “for this purpose” or “for this particular matter.” It is not a mistake — it is genuine, still-current Indian legal drafting language, found throughout the Constitution, the CrPC, the Income Tax Act, and countless central and state laws. It sounds old because it is old: a phrase from British colonial-era legal English that Indian law kept using long after Britain itself moved on.
Where You Will See This Phrase
You will not hear “in this behalf” in ordinary conversation or in an office email. It lives almost entirely in formal legal and constitutional text: bare Acts, government notifications, and court judgments. Law students, UGC NET and English Honours students reading legal English, and anyone going through a central Act or a Supreme Court judgment will run into it sooner or later.
It appears in Article 142 of the Constitution, the CrPC’s definitions section, the Income Tax Act, the Legal Services Authorities Act, and Bar Council of India rules — real, current, actively-cited legal text, not a historical curiosity.
Legal Wording vs. Plain English
As Written in Law
…as the Central Government notifies in this behalf in the Official Gazette.
In Plain English
…as the Central Government announces, for this specific purpose, in the Official Gazette.
As Written in Law
…any officer authorised by the State Government in this behalf.
In Plain English
…any officer the State Government has specifically authorised for this task.
As Written in Law
Subject to the provisions of any law made in this behalf by Parliament…
In Plain English
Subject to any law Parliament has specifically made for this purpose…
As Written in Law
…oaths and affirmations in discharge of the duties imposed…in this behalf.
In Plain English
…oaths and affirmations while carrying out the duties assigned for this purpose.
Why Indian Law Still Uses It
Most of India’s core legal codes — the CrPC, the IPC, and the framework the Constitution itself was drafted within — follow the conventions of British colonial-era legal English, set down decades before independence. That drafting style favoured phrases like “in this behalf” to mean “for this purpose” precisely and formally, without ambiguity.
Amending the exact wording of a foundational Act is legally complex, and it is rarely done just to modernise the language. So the original drafting style has simply stayed in place ever since — even though Britain’s own legal writing has since moved toward plainer, simpler English.
A useful distinction
If you are quoting an actual Act, section, or judgment, keep “in this behalf” exactly as written — never paraphrase a legal quotation. But in your own formal writing, letters, or exam answers, use plain modern English instead: “for this purpose” or “for this reason.” Examiners and readers expect the traditional wording only where you are directly quoting the law itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'in this behalf' mean the same as 'on behalf of'?+
No, and this is a common confusion. 'On behalf of' means representing someone else. 'In this behalf' is an older, unrelated legal usage meaning 'for this purpose' or 'for this particular matter'. The two phrases share the word 'behalf' but do not share a meaning.
Is 'in this behalf' grammatically correct?+
Yes. It is old-fashioned, but it is not a grammar mistake. It is genuine, still-current Indian legal drafting language, found throughout the Constitution, the CrPC, the Income Tax Act, and many central and state laws.
Should I use 'in this behalf' in my own writing?+
Only if you are drafting or quoting formal legal text, where the exact traditional wording matters. In an ordinary letter, essay, or exam answer, use plain modern English instead — 'for this purpose' or 'for this reason'. If you are quoting an actual Act or judgment, keep the original wording exactly as written; do not paraphrase a legal quotation.
Why does Indian law still use such old phrases?+
Most of India's core legal codes — the CrPC, the IPC, the Constitution itself — were drafted in the style of British colonial-era legal English, decades before independence. Amending the exact wording of a foundational Act is legally complex and rarely done just to modernise the language, so the original drafting style has stayed in place ever since, even though Britain's own legal writing has since moved toward plainer English.
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