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Prison (Punjab Amendment) Act, 1926

Punjab Act 9 of 1926

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Received the assent of the Governor on the 22nd July, 1926, and of the Governor General on the 9th August, 1926, and was first published in the Punjab Gazette, dated the 20th August, 1926.

An Act to amend the Prisons Act, 1894

Whereas it is expedient to amend the Prisons Act, 1894, in its application to the Punjab, in manner hereinafter appearing, and whereas the previous sanction of the Governor General under clause (f) of sub-section (3) of section 80-A of the Government of India Act has been obtained, it is hereby enacted as follows :-

Owing to the difficulty of finding simultaneously a large number of officers, the change will be introduced gradually and not into all jails at the same time. The Bill has been so drafted as to provide for the introduction of the new system into successive jails, as officers become available". (Punjab Gazette, 1926, Part I, Page 542).

  1. Short title, extent and commencement.- This Act may be called the Prison (Punjab Amendment) Act, 1926.

(2) It extends to the Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by notification, appoint in this behalf.

Object & Reasons6

 

Coming into force. - This Act came into force on the 1st September, 1926, vide Punjab Government Notification No. 24549, dated the 31st August, 1926.

Statement of Object and Reasons. - In order to carry out fundamental reforms in the Jail Administration it is necessary to improve the status of the class of officers who are discharging the duties of Jailers. Deputy Jailers and Assistant Jailers. It is proposed to replace Jailers, Deputy Jailers and Assistant Jailers by a new class of officers who will be known as Deputy and Assistant Superintendents, and who will be of a higher status and receive certain powers on "Jailers", "Deputy Jailers" and "Assistant Jailers" and these duties will hereafter be performed and the powers exercised by "Deputy Superintendents" and "Assistant Superintendents" it is necessary to introduce the present amending Bill.

For Statement of Objects and Reasons Punjab Gazette, 1526, Part I, and for proceedings in Council Punjab Legislative Council Debates, Vol 1-XB, 1108-09.

Owing to the difficulty of finding simultaneously a large number of officers, the change will be introduced gradually and not into all jails at the same time. The Bill has been so drafted as to provide for the introduction of the new system into successive jails, as officers become available". (Punjab Gazette, 1926 Part I, page 542).
  1. Amendment of section 6 of the Prisons Act, 1894.- To section 6 of the Prisons Act, 1894, the following proviso shall be deemed to be added, namely :-

"Provided further that in the Punjab the State Government may appoint for any prison a Deputy Superintendent instead of a jailer, and an Assistant Superintendent instead of a Deputy or Assistant Jailer, and these officers when so appointed shall exercise the same powers, shall discharge the same duties, and shall be subject to the same disabilities as Jailers and Deputy Jailers".