State of West Bengal - Act
The West Bengal Separation of Judicial And Executive Functions Act, 1970
WEST BENGAL
India
India
The West Bengal Separation of Judicial And Executive Functions Act, 1970
Act 8 of 1970
- Published on 1 January 1970
- Commenced on 1 January 1970
- [This is the version of this document from 1 January 1970.]
- [Note: The original publication document is not available and this content could not be verified.]
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.
- The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, shall, in its application to West Bengal, be amended in the manner and to the extent specified in the Schedule.3. Functions exercisable by Judicial and Executive Magistrates.
- Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any other law for the time being in force but subject to the other provisions of this Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, as amended by this Act, where under any law the functions exercisable by a Magistrate relate to inquiry into, or cognizance, investigation or trial of, an offence, such functions shall be exercisable by a Judicial Magistrate, and where such functions relate to matters which are administrative or executive in nature, they shall be exercisable by an Executive Magistrate:Provided that any reference to a Magistrate in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, as amended by this Act, which by express provision or necessary implication does not refer to a Judicial Magistrate or an Executive Magistrate, shall be construed as a reference to a Magistrate of either class.4. Savings.
5. Power to remove difficulties.
- If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the State Government, in consultation with the High Court, may, by order, do anything (including the specification of a Magistrate, whether Judicial or Executive, as the appropriate Magistrate having jurisdiction in the matter concerned under any law) not inconsistent with such provisions for the purpose of removing the difficulty.The Schedule(See section 2)Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898(Act 5 of 1898)1. In clause (A) of sub-section (1) of section 4, for the words "a Magistrate" the words "a Judicial Magistrate" shall be substituted.
2. In sub-section (2) of section 5, for the words "but subject to any enactment", the words "but, save as otherwise provided by this Code, subject to any enactment" shall be substituted.
3. For section 6, the following section shall be substituted, namely :-
"6. Classes of Criminal Courts and Magistrates. - (1) Besides the High Court 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 the State, namely :-I. Courts of Session;II. Courts of Magistrates.4. For Section 7, the following section shall be substituted, namely :-
"7. Sessions divisions and districts. - (1) The State of West Bengal shall consist of sessions divisions; and every sessions division shall, for the purposes of this Code, be a district or consist of districts.5. In section 9, -
6. In section 10, -
7. For section 12, the following section shall be substituted, namely :-
"12. Subordinate Executive and Judicial Magistrates. - (1) The State Government may appoint as many persons as it thinks fit, besides the District Magistrates to be Executive Magistrates of the first, second or third class in any district outside the presidency-town and the State Government or the District Magistrate, subject to the control of the State Government, may, from time to time, define the local areas within which such persons may exercise all or any of the powers with which they may respectively be invested under this Code.8. In section 13, -
9. After section 13, the following section shall be inserted, namely :-
"13A. Appointment of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrates. - (1) The High Court may place any Judicial Magistrate of the first or second class in charge of a sub-division, and may relieve him of the charge as occasion requires.10. For section 14, the following section shall be substituted, namely :-
"14. Special Executive and Judicial Magistrates. - (1) The State Government may confer upon any person who possesses such qualifications as may be specified in this behalf by the State Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, all or any of the powers conferred or conferable by or under this Code, on an Executive Magistrate of the first, second or third class for a particular purpose or particular purposes, in any local area, outside the presidency-town.11. In section 15, -
12. In section 16, -
13. For section 17, the following sections shall be substituted, namely :-
"17. Subordination of Executive Magistrates. - (1) All Executive Magistrates appointed under sections 12, 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 as to the distribution of business amongst such Magistrates.17A. Subordination of Judicial Magistrates and Benches. - (1) All Judicial Magistrates appointed under sections 12, 13A and 14 and all Benches constituted under section 15, shall, subject to the control of the Sessions Judge, be subordinate to the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate and the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate may from time to time distribute the business amongst such Judicial Magistrates and Benches consistently with this Code and the rules framed by the High Court.
17C. Delegation of powers by High Court. - The High Court, and subject to its control the Sessions Judge, may authorize an Additional Sessions Judge to perform within its jurisdiction all or any of the powers of supervision and control over the Judicial Magistrates.
17D. Inferior Criminal Courts. - Courts of Sessions and Courts of Magistrates shall be Criminal Courts inferior to the High Court, and Courts of Magistrates (excluding Courts of Presidency Magistrates) shall be Criminal Courts inferior to the Court of Session.".
14. For section 18, the following section shall be substituted, namely :-
"18. Appointment of Presidency Magistrate. - (1) Subject to the provisions of sub-sections (4) and (5), the State Government in consultation with the High Court, -(a)shall, from time to time, appoint a sufficient number of persons hereinafter called Presidency Magistrates) to be the Magistrates for the presidency-town of Calcutta and shall appoint one of such persons to be the Chief Presidency Magistrate for such town;(b)may also appoint one of such Presidency Magistrates to be an Additional Chief Presidency Magistrate shall have all or any of the powers of the Chief Presidency Magistrate under this Code or under any other law for the time being in force, as the State Government, in consultation with the High Court, may direct.15. After, section 18, the following section shall be inserted, namely :-
"18A. Special Presidency Magistrate. - The State Government may also appoint, for such term as it may, by special or general order, direct, any person as a Presidency Magistrate for the performance of all or any of the functions of a Presidency Magistrate excepting those relating to inquiry into, or cognizance, investigation or trial of any offence. Such Presidency Magistrates shall be called Special Presidency Magistrates.".16. In section 21, -
17. In clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 22B, for the words "nearest Magistrate", the words "nearest Magistrate having jurisdiction" shall be substituted.
18. To sub-section (1) of section 29, the following proviso shall be added, namely :-
"Provided that if the Court so mentioned is a Court specified in column 1 of the Table below such offence shall be tried by the Court of Judicial Magistrate specified against it in column 2 thereof.The Table| Name of Court specified in the law. | Court by which triable |
| (1)1. District Magistrate2. Magistrate of thefirst class.3. Sub-DivisionalMagistrate.4. Magistrate of thesecond class.5. Magistrate of thethird, class.6. Magistrate. | (2)1. Sub-Divisional JudicialMagistrate.2. Judicial Magistrate of the firstclass.3. Sub-Divisional JudicialMagistrate.4. Judicial Magistrate of thesecond class.5. Judicial Magistrate of the thirdclass.6. Judicial Magistrate". |