Pakistan: Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1898 as amended by Act 2 of
1997 1 TO 45 SECTION
THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1898
(Pakistan)
As amended by Act II of 1997
PART I - PRELIMINARY - CHAPTER I
1. Short title and commencement. (1) This Act may be called the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1898, and
It shall come Into force on the first day
of July, 1898. (2) It extends to 1 [the whole of Pakistan] but, in the
absence of any specific provision to the
contrary, nothing herein contained shall affect any special or local
law now in force, or any special
jurisdiction or power conferred, or any special form of procedure
prescribed, by any other law for the time
being in force.
2. [Repeal of enactments, notifications, etc, under repealed Acts
pending cases] Rep. by the Repealing and
Amending Act, 1914 (X of 1914).
3. Reference to Code of Criminal Procedure
and other repealed enactments. (1) In every enactment
passed before this Code comes into force
in which reference is made to, or to any, chapter or section of the
Code of Criminal Procedure, Act XXV of
1861 or Act X of 1872, or Act X of 1882 or to any other
enactment hereby repealed, such reference
shall, so far as may be practicable, be taken to be made to this
Code or to its corresponding chapter or
section. (2) Expressions in former Acts. In every enactment passed
before this Code comes into force the
expressions 'Officer exercising (or 'having') the powers (or 'the full
powers') of a Magistrate' 'Subordinate
Magistrate, first class', and 'Subordinate Magistrate second class',
shall respectively be deemed to mean
'Magistrate of the first class', 'Magistrate of the second class' and
'Magistrate of the third class', the
expression 'Magistrate of a division of a district shall be deemed to mean
'Sub-Divisional Magistrate', the expression
'Magistrate' of the district shall be deemed to mean 'District
Magistrate and the expression 'Joint
Sessions Judge' shall mean 'Additional Sessions Judge'.
4. Definition. (1) In this Code the following words and
expressions have the following meanings unless a
different intention appears from the
subject or context:
(a) 'Advocate-General'. 'Advocate-General'
includes also a Government Advocate or where there is not
Advocate-General or Government Advocate,
such officer as the Provincial Government may, from time to
time, appoint in this behalf;
(b) 'Bailable offence', 'Non-bailable
offence'. 'Bailable offence' means an offence shown as bailable in the
second schedule, or which is made bailable
by any other law for the time being in force; and 'non-bailable
offence' means any other offence:
(c) 'Charge'. 'Charge' includes any
head of charge when the charge contains more heads than one:
(d) [Rep. by the Repealing and amending
Act, 1923 (Act XI of 1923)}
(e) [Omitted by Law Reforms Ordinance,
1972}.
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 2
(f)
'Cognizable offence'. Cognizable case'. 'Cognizable offence' means an
offence for, and 'cognizable
case' means a case in, which a police
officer, may, in accordance with the second schedule or under any
law for the time being in force, arrest
without warrant;
(g) Omitted by A.O. 1949.
(h) 'Complaint'. 'Complaint' means
the allegation made orally or in writing to a Magistrate, with a view to
his taking action under this Code, that
some person whether known or unknown, has committed an offence,
but it does not include the reports of a
police-officer;
(i) Omitted by Act II of 1950.
(j) 'High Court'. 'High Court'
means the highest Court of criminal appeal or revision for a Province:
(k) 'Inquiry'. 'Inquiry' includes
every inquiry other than a trial conducted under this Code by a Magistrate
or Court;
(l) 'Investigation'. 'Investigation'
includes all the proceedings under this Code for the collection of
evidence conducted by a police-officer or
by any person (other than a Magistrate) who is authorized by a
Magistrate in this behalf;
(m) 'Judicial proceeding'. 'Judicial
proceeding' includes any proceeding in the course of which evidence
is or may be legally taken on oath;
(n) 'Non-cognizable offence': 'Non-cognizable
case'. 'Non-cognizable offence means an offence for, and
'non-cognizable case' means a case in,
which a police officer, may not arrest without warrant;
(o) 'Offence', 'Offence' means any
act or omission made punishable by any law for the time being in force;
it also includes any act in respect of
which a complaint may be made under section 20 of the Cattle
Trespass Act, 1871.
Offence- The word 'offence' as defined in the Code
means any act or omissions made punishable by any
law for the time being enforced apart those
from under PPC. 1991 Cr.L.J. 1476 (Ind). An offence is
constituted as soon as the act which
constitute that offence have been committed. It remains an offence
whether it is triable by a Court or not
and the fact that the trial of the offence can only be taken up after
certain specified conditions are fulfilled
does not make it any the less an offence. AIR 1967 S.C. 528.
There is nothing wrong in law to regard a
single act of firing at two persons as one offence. AIR 1952 S.C.
45. However, an act or omission is an
offence only if it is made punishable by any law for the time being in
force 1931 P.C. 94.
(p) 'Officer in charge of a
police-station'. 'Officer in charge of a police-station' includes, when the
officer
in charge of the police-station is absent
from the station-house or unable from illness or other cause to
perform his duties, the police-officer
present at the station-house who is next in rank to such officer and is
above the rank of constable or, when the
Provincial Government so directs, any other police-officer so
present;
(q) 'Place'. 'Place' includes also
a house, building, tent and vessel:
(r) 'Pleader'. 'Pleader', used with
reference to any proceeding in any Court, means, a pleader or a mukhtar
authorized under any law for the time
being in force to practice in such Court, and includes (1) an
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 3
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
advocate, a vakil and an attorney of a
High Court so authorized, and (2) any other person appointed wit the
permission of the Court to act in such
proceeding;
Pleader- With reference to any proceedings in the
Court a pleader means a pleader or Mukhtar authorised
under law for the time being in force and
includes:
(1) An advocate;
(2) A vakeel or any attorney of High Court
so authorised;
(3) Any other person appointed with the
permission of the Court. A co-accused can act as pleader if so
permitted. AIR 1962 Pat 244. Private
person must get the prior permission. 1991 P.Cr.L.J. 2425. The
discretion of the Court in permitting
person to appear as 'pleader' must be exercised judicially with due
regard to the interest of the party
engaging him. AIR 1978 S.C. 1019; 1978 Cr.L.J. 778.
A power of attorney authenticated by fail
authorities is a valid document. 1991 P.Cr.L.J. 25. A constituted
attorney can appear for the accused. 1991
P.Cr.L.J. 2425.
(s) 'Police-station'. 'Police-station'
means any post or place declared generally or specially, by the
Provincial Government to be a Police
Station and includes any local area specified by the Provincial
Government in this behalf:
Police station-Police station is a place declared
generally or specifically by the provincial Government to
be a police station and includes any local
area so specified except a beat-house. AIR 1960 Cal 519. Does
not include vehicle. (1963) 3 SCR 386.
Detention in a tee other than notified is illegal. PLD 1965 Lah 324.
(t) 'Public Prosecutor'. Public
Prosecutor' means any person appointed under section 492, and includes
any person acting under the directions of
a Public Prosecutor and any person conducting a prosecution on
behalf of the State in any High Court in
the exercise of its original criminal jurisdiction:
Public prosecutor-Public Prosecutor means any person
appointed u/s. 492 and includes Assistant Public
Prosecutor and any person conducting
prosecution under Public Prosecutor. PLD 1960 Dacca 783. He is
bound to assist the Court with his fairly
considered view and the Court is entitled to have the benefit of the
fair exercise of his function. AIR 1957
S.C. 389. Government advocate under instructions of the Advocate
General who is appointed u/s 492 to be
Public Prosecutor for all cases in the High Court is a Public
Prosecutor. 1966 Raj. Law Weekly 300; 1981
S.C. Cr. R. 301. Additional Government Advocate appointed
as a public Prosecutor is a Public
Prosecutor lawfully empowered to present appeal in the High Court
against orders of acquittal. AIR 1971 S.C.
1977. A private pleader instructed by a private party will not be
permitted to conduct prosecution. 1991
Mad. L.J. Cr. 624.
(u) 'Sub-division'. 'Sub-division'
means a sub-division of a district.
[Clauses (v) and (w) of Subsection (1) of
Section 4 omitted by Law Reform Ordi. 1972.]
Province of Punjab
Omission of clauses (e) (v) & (w) by
Law Reforms Ordinance 1972. item No. 1 enforced w.e.f. 26.12.1975
vide No. Judl. 1-3(2)/75 dated 26.12.1975.
(2) Words referring to acts. Words
which refer to acts done, extend also to illegal omission; and
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 4
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
Words to have same meaning as in Pakistan
Penal Code. All words and
expression used herein and
defined in the Pakistan Penal Code, and
not hereinbefore defined, shall be deemed to have the meanings
respectively attributed to them by the
Code.
5. Trial of offences under Penal Code. (1) All offences under the Pakistan Penal
Code shall be
investigated, inquired into, tried, and
otherwise dealt with according to the provisions hereinafter
contained.
(2) Trial of offences against other
laws. All offences under any other law shall be investigated, inquired
into, tried, and otherwise dealt with
according to the same provisions, but subject to any enactment for the
time being in force regulating the manner
or place of investigating, inquiring into, trying or otherwise
dealing with such offences.
PART II - CONSTITUTION AND POWERS OF CRIMINAL
COURTS AND OFFICES -
CHAPTER II - OF THE CONSTITUTION OF CRIMINAL
COURTS AND OFFICES
A. Classes of Criminal Courts
[6. Classes of Criminal Courts and
Magistrates:--
(1) Besides the High Courts and the Courts
constituted under any law other than this Code for the time
being in force, there shall be two classes
of Criminal Courts in Pakistan, namely:
(i) Courts of Session;
(ii) Courts of Magistrates.
(2) There shall be the following classes
of Magistrates, namely:
(i) Judicial Magistrates:--
(1) Magistrates of the first class.
(2) Magistrates of the second class.
(3) Magistrates of the third class.
(4) Special Judicial Magistrate.
(ii) Executive Magistrates:-
(1) District Magistrates.
(2) Additional District Magistrates.
(3) Sub-Divisional Magistrates.
(4) Special Executive Magistrates.']
[(5) Magistrates of the first class.
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 5
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
(6) Magistrates of the second class.
(7) Magistrates of the third class.]
B. Territorial Divisions
7. Sessions divisions and districts. (1) Each Province shall consist of
session; and every session divisions
shall, for the purposes of this Code, be a
district or consist of districts.
(2) Power to alter divisions and
districts. The Provincial Government may alter the limits or the number
of such divisions and districts.
(3) Existing divisions and districts. The
sessions divisions and districts existing when this Code comes
into force shall be sessions divisions and
districts respectively, unless and until they are so altered.
8. Power to divide districts into
sub-divisions. (1) The
Provincial Government may divide any district
into sub-divisions, or make any portion of
any such district a sub-division, and may alter the limits of any
sub-division.
(2) Existing sub-divisions maintained. All
existing sub-divisions which are now usually put under the
charge of a Magistrate shall be deemed to
have been made under this Code.
C. Courts and Offices
9. Court of Sessions. (1) The Provincial Government shall
establish a Court of Session for every session
division, and appoint a judge of such
Court.
(2) The Provincial Government may, by
general or special order in the official Gazette, direct at what place
or places the Court of Session shall hold
its sitting; but until such order is made, the Court of Session shall
hold their sittings as heretofore.
(3) The Provincial Government may also
appoint Additional Sessions Judges and Assistant Session Judges
to exercise jurisdiction in one or more
such Courts.
(4) Sessions Judge of one sessions
division may be appointed by the Provincial Government to be also an
Additional Session Judge of another
division, and in such case he may sit for the disposal of cases at such
place or places in either division as the
Provincial Government may direct.
(5) All Courts of Session existing when
this Code comes into force shall be deemed to have been
established under this Act.
[10. District Magistrate:
(1) In every district the Provincial
Government shall appoint a District Magistrate
(2) The Provincial Government may also
appoint Additional District Magistrate to exercise jurisdiction in
one or more Districts and such Additional
District Magistrates shall have all or any of the powers of a
District Magistrate under this Code, or
under any other law for the time being in force, as the Provincial
Government may direct.]
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 6
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
[(3) For the purposes of section 192,
sub-section (1) and section [407, sub-section (2) such Additional
District Magistrate shall be deemed to be
subordinate to the District Magistrate].
District Magistrate- District Magistrate is not one of the
Courts established under Cr.P.C. District
Magistrate occupies dual position, he is
the Chief Executive, Incharge of the administration of the District
and as Magistrate of the First Class, he
may exercise the powers conferred upon such Magistrate by the
Cr.P.C. PLD 1988 Lah 352
Additional District Magistrate-District
Magistrate a/one authorised by legislature to do certain acts.
Additional District Magistrate is not
empowered to exercise District Magistrate's power under S. 10(2),
Cr.P.C. PLD 1958 Dacca 425. However,
Additional District Magistrate is competent to exercise powers
even after his transfer to some equal or
higher office in same local area. PLD 1962 Lah 939.
11. Officers temporarily succeeding to
vacancies in office of District Magistrate. Whenever in
consequence of, the office of a District
Magistrate becoming vacant, any officer succeeds temporarily to
the chief executive administration of the
district, such officer shall, pending the orders of the Provincial
Government, exercise all the powers and
perform all the duties respectively conferred and imposed by the
Code on the District Magistrate.
Additional Deputy Commissioner-Additional Deputy Commissioner as Chief
Executive of District and
Magistrate 1st Class can pass order under
S. 144(1). 1980 P.Cr.L.J.851.
12. [Subordinate] Magistrates. (1) The Provincial Government may appoint
as many persons as it thinks
fit [***] to be Magistrates of the first,
second or third class in any district and may from time to time,
define local areas within which such
persons may exercise all or any of the powers with which they may
respectively be invested under this Code.
(2) Local limits of their jurisdiction.
Except as otherwise provided by such definition, the jurisdiction and
powers of such persons shall extend
throughout such district.
[Province of Balochistan. The Government of Balochistan has fixed
the limits of territorial jurisdiction for
the Judicial Magistrates appointed in each
Sessions Division to be the same as the territorial limits of the
Sessions Divisions fixed vide Notification
No.US(Judl)5(7)/87/674-716, dated the 28th February, 1994.
2. The Judicial Magistrate(s) appointed in
a Session Division shall have the jurisdiction throughout that
Division subject to the powers conferred
upon them under section 12 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,
1898, as amended by the Law Reforms
Ordinance, 1972, and further amended by the Law Reforms
(Amendment) Ordinance, 1996, (XL of 1996).
3. Wherever, in any of the Sessions
Divisions the number of Judicial Magistrates is more than one, the
Sessions Judge of the Division, shall
distribute the business amongst the Judicial Magistrates. (Gazette
Extra dated 22nd March, 1996, PLD 1997
Bal. St. 5)].
Jurisdiction of Magistrate. Jurisdiction of Magistrate extends
throughout District unless restricted by
order. [71 DLR 839] It is essential that
offence must be shown to be triable by Magistrate in the Schedule.
[1972 P.Cr.L.J. 233]
Balochistan Province-See Notification No.US
(Judl)4(10)/94/Vol.I, dated 22.3.1996. For text see Cr.P.C.
by the same Author. .
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 7
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
13. Power to put [Magistrate] in charge of
sub-division. (1) The
Provincial Government may place any
[Executive Magistrate] in charge of a
sub-division, and relieve him of the charge as occasion requires.
(2) Such Magistrates shall be called
Sub-Division Magistrates.
(3) Delegation of powers to District
Magistrate. The Provincial Government may delegate its powers
under this section to the District
Magistrate.
[14. Special Judicial and Executive
Magistrates.
(1) The Provincial Government may on the
recommendation of the High Court, confer upon any person all
or any of the powers conferred or
conferrable by or under this Code on a Judicial Magistrate in respect to
particular cases or to a particular class
or particular classes of cases, or in regard to cases generally in any
local area.
(2) Such Magistrates shall be called
Special Judicial Magistrates, and shall be appointed for such term as
the Provincial Government may, in
consultation with the High Court by general or special order, direct.
(3) The Provincial Government may also
appoint Executive Magistrate for particular areas or for
performance of particular functions and
confer upon them or any of the powers conferred or conferrable by
or under this Code on an Executive
Magistrate.
(4) Such Magistrates shall be called
Executive Magistrates, and shall be appointed for such term as the
Provincial Government may, by general or
special order, direct: Provided that no powers shall be conferred
under this sub-section on any police officer
below the grade of Assistant Superintendent, and no powers
shall be conferred on a police officer
except so far as may be necessary for preserving the peace,
preventing crime and detecting,
apprehending and detaining offenders in order to their being brought
before a Magistrate, and for the
performance by the officer of any other duties imposed upon him by any
law for the time being in force.
(5) The Provincial Government may
delegate, subject to such limitations as it thinks fit, to any officer
under its control the powers conferred by
subsection (3).']
15. Benches of Magistrates. (1) The Provincial Government may direct
any two or more [Judicial
Magistrates] in any place to sit together
as a Bench, and may by order invest such Bench with any of the
powers conferred or conferrable by or
under this Code on Magistrate of the first, second or third class, and
direct it to exercise such powers in such
cases, or such classes only, and within such local limits, as the
Provincial Government thinks fit.
(2) Powers exercisable by Bench in
absence of special direction. Except as otherwise provided by any
order under this section every such Bench
shall have the powers conferred by this Code on a Magistrate of
the highest class to which any one of its
members, who is present taking part in the proceedings as a
member of the Bench, belongs, and as for
as practicable shall, for the purposes of this Code, be deemed to
be a Magistrate of such class.
16. Power to frame rules for guidance of
Benches. The Provincial
Government may '........ from time to
time, make rules consistent with this Code
for the guidance of Magistrates, Benches in any district
respecting the following subjects:
(a) the classes of cases to be tried:
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 8
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
(b) the times and places of sitting;
(c) the constitution of the Bench for
conducting trials;
(d) the mode of settling differences of
opinion which may arise between the Magistrates in session.
17. ['Subordination of Judicial
Magistrates and Benches to Sessions Judge.
(1) All Judicial Magistrates appointed
under sections 12 and 14 and all Benches constituted under section
15 shall be subordinate to the Sessions
Judge, and he may from time to time, make rules or give special
orders consistent with this Code and any
rules framed by the Provincial Government under section 16, as
to the distribution of business among such
Magistrates and Benches,
(2) Subordination of Executive Magistrates
to District Magistrate. All Executive Magistrates appointed
under section i3[i2] 13 and 14 shall be
subordinate to the District Magistrate and he may, from time to
time, make rules or give special orders
consistent with this Code and any rules framed by the Provincial
Government under section 16, as to the
distribution of business among such Magistrates.
(2-A) Subordination of Executive
Magistrates to Sub-Divisional Magistrate.-Every Executive Magistrate
(other than a Sub-Divisional Magistrate)
in a sub-Division shall also be subordinate to the Sub-Divisional
Magistrate, subject, however, to the
general control of the District Magistrate',]
(3) Subordination of Assistant Sessions
Judges to Sessions Judge. All Assistant Judges shall be subordinate
to the Session Judge in whose Court they
exercise jurisdiction, and he may, from time to time, make rules
consistent with his Code as to the
distribution of business among such, Assistant Sessions Judges.
(4) The Session Judge may also when he
himself is unavoidably absent or incapable of acting, make
provision for the disposal of any urgent
application by an Additional or Assistant Sessions Judge ...... and
such Judge . .. . shall have jurisdiction
to deal with any such application.
D. Courts of Presidency Magistrates
18 to 21. Appointment of Presidency Magistrates.
Benches Local limits of jurisdiction, Chief Presidency
Magistrate. Omitted by A.O., 1949 Sch.
E-Justice of the Peace
[22. A Provincial Government so far as regards the territories
subject to its administration may by
notification in the official Gazette,
appoint such persons resident within Pakistan and not being the subjects
of any foreign State as it thinks fit to
be justices of the Peace within and for the local area mentioned in
such notification.]
Punjab Amendment
[22. Appointment of Justices of the Peace.
The Provincial Government
may, by notification in the
official Gazette, appoint for such period
as may be specified in the notification, and subject to such rules as
may be made by it any person who is a
citizen of Pakistan and as to whose integrity and suitability it is
satisfied, to be a Justice of the Peace
for a local area to be specified in the notification, and more than one
Justice of the Peace may be appointed for
the same local area.
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 9
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
22-A. Powers of Justice of the Peace. (1) A Justice of the Peace for any local
area shall, for the purpose of
making an arrest, have within such area
all the powers of a Police Officer referred to in section 54 and an
officer in-charge of a police-station
referred to in section 55.
(2) A Justice of the Peace making an
arrest in exercise of any powers under subsection (1) shall, forthwith,
take or cause to be taken the person
arrested before the officer in-charge of the nearest police-station and
furnish such officer with a report as to
the circumstances of the arrest and such officer shall thereupon rearrest
the person.
(3) A Justice of the Peace for any local
area shall have powers, within such area, to call upon any member
of the police force on duty to aid him:
(a) in taking or preventing the escape of
any person who has participated in the commission of any
cognizable offence or against whom a
reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has
been received or a reasonable suspicion
exists of his having so participated; and
(b) in the prevention of crime in general
and, in particular, in the prevention of a breach of the peace or a
disturbance of the public tranquillity.
(4) Where a member of the police force on
duty has been called upon to render aid under subsection (3),
such call shall be deemed to have been
made by a competent authority.
(5) A Justice of the Peace for any local
area may, in accordance with such rules as may be made by the
Provincial Government:
(a) issue a certificate as to the identity
of any person residing within such area, or
(b) verify any document brought before him
by any such person, or
(c) attest any such document required by
or under any law for the time being in force to be attested by a
Magistrate, and until the contrary is
proved, any certificate so issued shall be presumed to be correct and
any document so verified shall be deemed
to be duly verified, and any document so attested shall be
deemed to have been as fully attested as
if he had been a Magistrate.
22-B. Duties of Justices of the Peace. Subject to such rules as may be made by
the Provincial
Government, every Justice of the peace for
any local area shall,
(a) on receipt of information of the
occurrence of any incident involving a breach of the peace, or of the
commission of any offence within such local
area, forthwith make inquiries into the matter and report in
writing the result of his inquiries to the
nearest Magistrate and to officer in charge of the nearest policestation.
(b) if the offence referred to in clause
(a) is a cognizable offence, also prevent the removal of any thing
from, or the interference in any way with,
the place of occurrence of the offence;
(c) when so required in writing by a
police-officer making an investigation under Chapter XIV in respect
of any offence committed within such local
area.
(i) render all assistance to the
police-officer making such an investigation.
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 10
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
(ii) record any statement made under
expectation of death by a person in respect of whom a crime is
believed to have been committed'.]
23 & 24. Justice of the Peace for the
Presidency-towns. Present
Justices of the Peace. Rep. by the
Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1923 (XII of
1923) S. 4.
25. Ex-officio Justice of the Peace. In virtue of their respective offices, the
Judges of the High Courts are
Justice of the Peace within and for the
whole of Pakistan, Sessions Judges and District Magistrates are
Justices of the Peace within and for the
whole of the territories administered by the Provincial Government
under which they are serving.
F. Suspension and Removal
26 & 27. Suspension and removal of
Judges and Magistrates. Suspension
and removal of Justices of the
Peace. Rep. by A.O., 1937.
CHAPTER III
POWERS OF COURTS
A. Description of offences cognizable by
each Court
28. Offences under Penal Code. Subject to the other provisions of this
Code any offence under the
Pakistan Penal Code may be tried:
(a) by the High Court; or
(b) by the Courts of Sessions; or
(c) by any other Court by which such
offence is shown in the eighth column of the second schedule to be
triable; [Provided that the offences
falling under Chapters VIII, X, XIII and XIV of the Pakistan Penal
Code (Act XLV of 1860), except offences
specified in section 153A and section 281 of the said Code, shall
be tried by the Executive Magistrates and
the expression 'Magistrate' used in the said eighth column shall
mean Executive Magistrate of the respective
class.]
Illustration
A is [tried by] the Session Court on a
charge of culpable homicide. He may be convicted of voluntarily
causing hurt, an offence triable by a
Magistrate.
29. Offences under other laws. (1) Subject to the other provisions of
this Code, any offence under any
other law shall when any Court is
mentioned in this behalf in such law, be tried by such Court.
(2) When no Court is so mentioned, it
may be tried by the High Court or subject as aforesaid by any
Court constituted under this Code by which
such offences shown in the eight column of the second
schedule to be triable; (Provided that the
offences punishable with imprisonment for a term not exceeding
three years, with or without any other
punishment, shall be tried by the Executive Magistrates.]
29-A. Trial of European British subjects
by second and third class Magistrates. Omitted by the
Criminal Law (Extinction of Discriminatory
Privileges) Act, 1949 (II of 1950).
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 11
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
[29-B. Jurisdiction of the case of
juveniles. Any offence,
other than one punishable with death or
transportation for life, committed by any
person who at the date when he appears or is brought before the
Court is under the age of fifteen years,
may be tried by a District Magistrate or by any Magistrate specially
empowered by the Provincial Government to
exercise the powers conferred by section 8, sub-section (1),
of the Reformatory Schools Act 1897 or, in
any area in which the said Act has been wholly or in part
repealed by any other law providing for
the custody, trial or punishment youthful offenders, by any
Magistrate empowered by or under such Saw
to exercise all or any of the powers conferred thereby].
30. Offences not punishable with death. In the Punjab, the North-West Frontier, in
Sind and in those
parts of the Provinces in which there are
Deputy Commissioners or Assistant Commissioners the
Provincial Government may, notwithstanding
anything contained in [sections 28 and 29. invest any
Judicial] District Magistrate or any
Magistrate of the first class with power to try as a Magistrate ail
offences not punishable with death.
B. Sentences which may be passed Courts of
various Classes
31. Sentences which High Courts and
Session Judges may pass. (1)
A High Court may pass any
sentence authorized by law.
(2) A Sessions Judge or Additional
Sessions Judge may pass any sentence authorized by law; but any
sentence of death passed by any such Judge
shall be subject to confirmation by the High Court.
(3) An Assistant Sessions Judges may
pass any sentence authorized by law, except a sentence of death or
of 24[imprisonment for a term exceeding
seven years].
32. Sentence which [Magistrate] may pass. (1) The Courts of [Judicial Magistrates]
may pass the
following sentences namely:
(a) Courts of Magistrates of the first
class; Imprisonment for a term not exceeding [three years], including
such solitary confinement as Is authorized
by law; Pine not exceeding [fifteen] thousand rupees [arsh,
daman} Whipping.
(b) Courts of Magistrates of the second
class; Imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year,including
such solitary confinement as is authorized
by law; Fine not exceeding (five)thousand rupees,
(c) Courts of Magistrates of the third
class; Imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month;Fine not
exceeding (one thousand) rupees.
(2) The Courts of any Magistrate may pass
any lawful sentence, combining any of the sentences which it is
authorized by law to passs.
33. Power of Magistrates to sentence to
imprisonment in default of fine. (1) The Court of any
Magistrate may award such terms of
imprisonment in default of payment of fine as is authorized by law in
case of such default; Provided that:
Proviso as to certain cases.
(a) The term is not in excess of the
Magistrate's powers under this Code:
(b) In any case decided by a Magistrate
where imprisonment has been awarded as part of the substantive
sentence the period of imprisonment
awarded in default of payment of the fine shall not exceed one fourth
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 12
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
of the period of imprisonment which such
Magistrate is competent to inflict as punishment for the offence
otherwise than as imprisonment in default
of payment of the fine.
(2) The imprisonment awarded under this
section may be in addition to a substantive sentence of
imprisonment for the maximum term
awardable by the Magistrate under section 32.
[34. Higher powers of certain District
Magistrates. The Court of
a Magistrate, specially empowered
under section 30, may pass any sentence
authorized by Saw, except a sentence of death or.....
Imprisonment for a term exceeding seven
years.]
34-A. (Sentences which Court and
Magistrates may pass upon European British subjects]. Omitted
by the Criminal Law (Extinction of
Discriminatory Privileges) Act, 1949 (11 of 1950),Sch.
35. (1) Sentence in case of conviction of
several offences at one trial. When a person is convicted at one
trial of two or more offences, the Court
may, subject to the provisions of section 71 of the Pakistan Penal
Code sentence him, for such offences, to
the several punishments prescribed therefore which such Court is
competent to inflict; such punishments
when consisting of imprisonment 34...... to commence the one after
the expiration of the other in such order
as the Court may direct, unless the Court directs that such
punishments shall run concurrently.
(2) In the case of consecutive sentences,
it shall not be necessary for the Court, by reason only of the
aggregate punishment for the several
offences being in excess of the punishment which it is competent to
inflict on conviction of a single offence,
to send the offender for trial before a higher Court; Provided as
follows:
Maximum term of punishment.
(a) in no case shall such person be
sentenced to imprisonment for a longer period than fourteen years;
(b) if the case is tried by a Magistrate,
as....... the aggregate punishment shall not exceed twice the amount
of punishment which he is, in the exercise
of his ordinary jurisdiction, competent to inflict.
(3) For the purpose of appeal, the
aggregate of consecutive sentences passed under this section in case of
convictions for several offences at one
trial shall be deemed to be a single sentence.
C. Ordinary and Additional Powers
36. Ordinary powers of Magistrates. All ^[Judicial and Executive Magistrates]
have the powers
hereinafter respectively conferred upon
them and specified in the third schedule Such powers are called
their 'ordinary powers'.
37. 37['Additional powers conferrable on
Magistrates. In addition
to his ordinary powers, any
Magistrate may be invested by the
Provincial Government with any powers specified in the Fourth
Schedule;
Provided that in the case of a Judicial
Magistrate, such powers shall be conferred on the recommendation
of the High Court;
Provided further that the Provincial Government
may authorize a District Magistrate to invest any
Magistrate subordinate to him with any of
the powers specified in Part 11 of the Fourth Schedule.']
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 13
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
38. Control of District Magistrates
investing power. The
powers conferred on the District Magistrate by
section 37 shall be exercised subject to
the control of the Provincial Government.
D. Conferment, Continuance and
Cancellation of Powers
39. Mode of conferring powers. (1) In conferring powers under this Code
the Provincial Government may
by order, empower persons specially by
name or in virtue of their office or classes of officials generally by
their official title.
(2) Every such order shall take effect
from the date on which it is communicated to the person so
empowered.
40. Powers of officers appointed. Whenever any person holding an office in
the service of Government
who has been invested with any powers
under this Code throughout any local area is appointed to an equal
or higher office of the same nature,
within a like local area under the same Provincial Government, he
shall, unless the Provincial Government
otherwise directs, or has otherwise directed, exercise the same
powers in the local area in which he is so
appointed.
41. Powers may be cancelled. (1) The Provincial Government may withdraw
all or any of the powers
conferred under this Code on any person by
it or by any officer subordinate to it; ('provided that, in the
case of Judicial Magistrate, the
withdrawal of such persons shall not be made except on the
recommendation of the High Court.']
(2) Any powers conferred by the District
Magistrate may be withdrawn by the District Magistrate.
PART III - GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER IV
OF AID AND INFORMATION TO THE MAGISTRATES,
THE POLICE AND PERSONS
MAKING ARRESTS
42. Public when to assist Magistrate and
police. Every person is
bound to assist a Magistrate ''I, Justice
of Peace] or police-officer reasonably
demanding his aid:
(a) in the taking or preventing the escape
of any other person whom such Magistrate or police-officer is
authorized to arrest;
(b) in the prevention or suppression of a
breach of the peace, or in the prevention of any injury attempted to
be committed to any railway, canal,
telegraph or public property,
43. Aid to person, other than
police-officer, executing warrant. When a warrant is directed to a person
other than a police-officer, any other
person may aid in the execution of such warrant, if the person to
whom the warrant is directed be near at
hand and acting in the execution of the warrant.
[44. Public to give information of certain
offences. (1) Every
person aware of the commission of, or of
the intention of any other person to
commit, any offence punishable under any of the following sections of
the Pakistan Penal Code, namely, 121, 121
A, 122, 123,123 124, 124A, 125, 126, 130, 143, 144, 145, 147,
148, 153A, 161, 162,163, 164.165.
168.170,231, 232, 255, 302, 303, 304, 304A, 364A, 382, 392, 393, 394,
395 396, 397, 398, 399. 402, 435,436 449,
450, 456, 457. 458, 459, 460 and 489A, shall, in the absence of
reasonable excuse, the burden of proving
shall lie upon the person so aware, forthwith give information to
the nearest Magistrate [, Justice of the
Peace,] or police-officer of such commission or intention; and]
Pakistan: Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 14
ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia
Pacific September 2007
www.oecd.org/corruption/asiapacific/mla
asiapacific@oecd.org
(2) For the purposes of this section the
term, 'offence' includes any act committed at any place out of
Pakistan which would constitute an offence
if committed in Pakistan.
45. Village-headmen, accountant,
landholders and others bound to report certain matters. (1) Every
village-headman, accountant,
village-accountant, village watchman, village police-officer, owner or
occupier of land, and the agent of any
such owner or occupier in charge of the management of that land
and every officer employed in the
collection of revenue or rent of land on the part of the Government or the
Court of Wards, shall forthwith
communicate to the nearest Magistrate [or Justice of Peace] or the officer
in charge of the nearest police-station
whichever is the nearer, any information which he may possess
respecting:
(a) the permanent or temporary residence
of any notorious receiver or vendor of stolen property in any
village of which is headman, accountant,
watchman or police-officer, or in which he owns or occupies
land, or is agent, or collects revenue or
rent;
(b) the resort to any place within, or the
passage through, such village of any person whom he knows, or
reasonably suspects to be a thug, robber,
escaped convict or proclaimed offender;
(c) the commission of, or intention to
commit, in or near such village any non-bailable offence or any
offence punishable under sections 143,
144, 145, 147 or 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code;
(d) the occurrence in or near such village
or any sudden or unnatural death or of any death under suspicious
circumstances; or the discovery in or near
such village of any corpse or part of a corpse, in circumstances
which lead to a reasonable suspicion that
such a death has occurred or the disappearance from such village
of any person in circumstances which lead
to a reasonable suspicion that a non-bailable offence has been
committed in respect of such person;
(e) the commission of, or intention to
commit, at any place out of Pakistan near such village any act which,
if committed in Pakistan would be an
offence punishable under any of the following sections of the
Pakistan Penal Code, namely, 231, 232,
233, 234, 235,236,237,238,302, 304,382,392,393, 394, 395, 396,
397. 398, 399, 402, 435, 436, 449, 450,
457, 458, 459, 460, 489A, 489B, 489C and 489D;
(f) any matter likely to affect the
maintenance of order or the prevention of crime or the safety of person or
property respecting which the District
Magistrate, by general or special order made with the previous
sanction of the Provincial Government has
directed him to communicate information.
(2) In this section:
(i) 'village' includes village-lands; and
(ii) the expression 'proclaimed offender'
includes any person proclaimed as an offender by any Court or
authority established or continued by the
Central Government in any part of Pakistan, in respect of any act
which if committed in Pakistan, would be
punishable under any of the following sections of the Pakistan
Penal Code, namely 302,304, 382, 392,
393,394.395,396, 397, 398, 399, 402,435,436, 449, 450, 457, 458,
459 and 460.
(3) Appointment of village-headmen by
District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional Magistrate in certain cases
for purposes of this section. Subject to
rules in this behalf to be made by the Provincial Government the
District Magistrate or Sub-Divisional
Magistrate may from time to time appoint one or more persons with
his or their consent to perform the duties
of a village-headman under this section whether a villageheadman
has or has not been appointed for that
village under any other law.
No comments:
Post a Comment