(443-463) Omitted
[Omitted by the Schedule of the Criminal Law (Extinction of Discriminatory Privileges) Act, 1949 (Act No. II of 1950).]
Procedure in case of accused being lunatic
464.(1) When a Magistrate holding an inquiry or a trial has reason to believe that the accused is of unsound mind and consequently incapable of making his defense, the Magistrate shall inquire into the fact of such unsoundness, and shall cause such person to be examined by the Civil Surgeon of the district or such other medical officer as the Government directs, and thereupon shall examine such Surgeon or other officer as a witness, and shall reduce the examination to writing.
[(1A) Pending such examination and inquiry the Magistrate may deal with the accused in accordance with the provisions of section 466.]
(2) If such Magistrate is of opinion that the accused is of unsound mind and consequently incapable of making his defence, he shall record a finding to that effect and shall postpone further proceedings in the case.
Procedure in case of person being lunatic before Court of Sessions
[465.(1) If at the trial of any person before a Court of Session, it appears to the Court that such person is of unsound mind and consequently incapable of making his defence, the Court shall, in the first instance, try the fact of such unsoundness and incapacity, and if the Court is satisfied of the fact, it shall record a finding to that effect and shall postpone further proceedings in the case.
(2) The trial of the fact of the unsoundness of mind and incapacity of the accused shall be deemed to be part of his trial before the Court.]
Release of lunatic pending investigation or trial
466.(1) Whenever an accused person is found to be of unsound mind and incapable of making his defence, the Magistrate or Court, as the case may be, whether the case is one on which bail may be taken or not, may release him on sufficient security being given that he shall be properly taken care of and shall be prevented from doing injury to himself or to any other person, and for his appearance when required before the Magistrate or Court or such officer as the Magistrate or Court appoints in this behalf.
(2) If the case is one in which, in the opinion of the Magistrate or Court, bail should not be taken, or if sufficient security is not given, the Magistrate or Court, as the case may be, shall order the accused to be detained in safe custody in such place and manner as he or it may think fit, and shall report the action taken to the Government:
Custody of lunatic
Provided that no order for the detention of the accused in a lunatic asylum shall be made otherwise than in accordance with such rules as the Government may have made under the
Lunacy Act, 1912.
Resumption of inquiry or trial
467.(1) Whenever an inquiry or a trial is postponed under section 464 or section 465, the Magistrate or Court, as the case may be, may at any time resume the inquiry or trial, and require the accused to appear or be brought before such Magistrate or Court.
(2) When the accused has been released under section 466, and the sureties for his appearance produce him to the officer whom the Magistrate or Court appoints in this behalf, the certificate of such officer that the accused is capable of making his defence shall be receivable in evidence.
Procedure on accused appearing before Magistrate or Court
468.(1) If, when the accused appears or is again brought before the Magistrate or the Court, as the case may be, the Magistrate or Court considers him capable of making his defence, the inquiry or trial shall proceed.
(2) If the Magistrate or Court considers the accused to be still incapable of making his defence, the Magistrate or Court shall again act according to the provisions of section 464 or section 465, as the case may be, and if the accused is found to be of unsound mind and incapable of making his defence, shall deal with such accused in accordance with the provisions of section 466.
When accused appears to have been insane
469. When the accused appears to be of sound mind at the time of inquiry or trial, and the Magistrate [or, as the case may be, the Court is satisfied from the evidence given before him or it] that there is reason to believe that the accused committed an act which, if he had been of sound mind, would have been an offence, and that he was, at the time when the act was committed, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing the nature of the act or that it was wrong or contrary to law, the Magistrate [or, as the case may be, the Court shall proceed with the case].
Judgment of acquittal on ground of lunacy
470. Whenever any person is acquitted upon the ground that, at the time at which he is alleged to have committed an offence, he was, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing the nature of the act alleged as constituting the offence, or that it was wrong or contrary to law, the finding shall state specifically whether he committed the act or not.
Power of Government to relieve Inspector General of certain functions
(2) The Government may empower the officer in charge of the jail in which a person is confined under the provisions of section 466 or this section, to discharge all or any of the functions of the Inspector General of Prisons under section 473 or section 474.
Person acquitted on such ground to be detained in safe custody
471.(1) Whenever the finding states that the accused person committed the act alleged, the Magistrate or Court before whom or which the trial has been held, shall, if such act would, but for the incapacity found, have constituted an offence, order such person to be detained in safe custody in such place and manner as the Magistrate or Court thinks fit, and shall report the action taken to the Government:
Provided that no order for the detention of the accused in a lunatic asylum shall be made otherwise than in accordance with such rules as the Government may have made under the
Lunacy Act, 1912.
Repealed
472. [Repealed by section 101 and Schedule II of the
Lunacy Act, 1912 (Act No. IV of 1912).]
Procedure where lunatic prisoner is reported capable of making his defence
473. If such person is detained under the provisions of section 466, and in the case of a person detained in a jail, the Inspector General of Prisons, or, in the case of a person detained in a lunatic asylum, the visitors of such asylum or any two of them shall certify that, in his or their opinion, such person is capable of making his defence, he shall be taken before the Magistrate or Court, as the case may be, at such time as the Magistrate or Court appoints, and the Magistrate or Court shall deal with such person under the provisions of section 468; and the certificate of such Inspector General or visitors as aforesaid shall be receivable as evidence.
Procedure where lunatic detained under section 466 or 471 is declared fit to be released.
474.(1) If such person is detained under the provisions of section 466 or section 471, and such Inspector General or visitors shall certify that, in his or their judgment, he may be released without danger of his doing injury to himself or to any other person, the Government may thereupon order him to be released or to be detained in custody, to be transferred to a public lunatic asylum if he has not been already sent to such an asylum; and, incase it orders him to be transferred to an asylum, may appoint a Commission, consisting of a judicial and two medical officers.
(2) Such Commission shall make formal inquiry into the state of mind of such person, taking such evidence as is necessary, and shall report to the Government, which may order his release or detention as it thinks fit.
Delivery of lunatic to care of relative or friend
475.(1) Whenever any relative or friend of any person detained under the provisions of section 466 or section 471 desires that he shall be delivered to his care and custody, the Government may, upon the application of such relative or friend and on his giving security to the satisfaction of [the Government] that the person delivered shall-
(a) be properly taken care of and prevented from doing injury to himself or to any other person, and
(b) be produced for the inspection of such officer, and at such times and places as the Government may direct, and
(c) in the case of a person detained under section 466, be produced when required before such Magistrate or Court,
order such person to be delivered to such relative or friend.
(2) If the person so delivered is accused of any offence the trial of which has been postponed by reason of his being of unsound mind and incapable of making his defence, and the inspecting officer referred to in sub-section (1), clause (b), certifies at any time to the Magistrate or Court that such person is capable of making his defence, such Magistrate or Court shall call upon the relative or friend to whom such accused was delivered to produce him before the Magistrate or Court; and, upon such production, the Magistrate or Court shall proceed in accordance with the provisions of section 468, and the certificate of the inspecting officer shall be receivable as evidence.
Chapter XXXV
PROCEEDINGS IN CASE OF CERTAIN OFFENCES AFFECTING THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
Superior Court may complain where subordinate Court has committed to do so
476A.The power conferred on Civil, Revenue and Criminal Courts by section 476, sub-section (1), may be exercised, in respect of any offence referred to therein and alleged to have been committed in or in relation to any proceeding in any such Court, by the Court to which such former Court is subordinate within the meaning of section 195, sub-section (3), in any case in which such former Court has neither made a complaint under section 476 in respect of such offence nor rejected an application for the making of such complaint; and, where the superior Court makes such complaint, the provisions of section 476 shall apply accordingly.
Procedure in cases mentioned in section 195.
[476.(1) When any Civil, Revenue or Criminal Court is, whether on application made to it in this behalf or otherwise, of opinion that it is expedient in the interests of justice that an inquiry should be made into any offence referred to in section 195, sub-section (1), clause (b) or clause (c), which appears to have been committed in or in relation to a proceeding in that Court, such Court may, after such preliminary inquiry, if any, as Court, such Court may, after such preliminary inquiry, if any, as it thinks necessary, record a finding to that effect and make a complaint thereof in writing signed by the presiding officer of the Court, and shall forward the same to a Magistrate of the first class having jurisdiction, and may take sufficient security for the appearance of the accused before such Magistrate or if the alleged offence is non-bailable may, if it thinks necessary so to do, send the accused in custody to such Magistrate, and may bind over any person to appear and give evidence before such Magistrate:
Provided that, where the Court making the complaint is High Court Division, the complaint may be signed by such officer of the Court as the Court may appoint.
[For the purpose of this sub-section, a Metropolitan Magistrate shall be deemed to be a Magistrate of the first class.]
[(2) A Magistrate to whom a complaint is made under sub-section (1) or section 476A or section 476B shall, notwithstanding anything contained in Chapter XVI, proceed, as far as may be, to deal with the case as if it were instituted on a police report.]
(3) Where it is brought to the notice of such Magistrate or of any other Magistrate to whom the case may have been transferred, that an appeal is pending against the decision arrived at in the judicial proceeding out of which the matter has arisen, he may, if he thinks fit, at any stage adjourn the hearing of the case until such appeal is decided.
Appeals
476B. Any person on whose application any Civil, Revenue or Criminal Court has refused to make a complaint under section 476 or section 476A, or against whom such a complaint has been made, may appeal to the Court to which such former Court is subordinate within the meaning of section 195, sub-section (3), and the superior Court may thereupon, after notice to the parties concerned, direct the withdrawal of the complaint or, as the case may be, itself make the complaint which the subordinate Court might have made under section 476, and if its makes such complaint the provisions of that section shall apply accordingly.]
Repealed
477. [Repealed by section 129 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1923 (XVIII of 1923).]
[Omitted] & 479. [Omitted]
Procedure in certain cases of contempt
480. When any such offence as is described in section 175, section 178, section 179, section 180 or section 228 or the Penal Code is committed in the view or presence of any Civil, Criminal or Revenue Court, the Court may cause the offender to be detained in custody and at any time before the rising of the Court on the same day may, if it thinks fit, take cognizance of the offence and sentence the offender to fine not exceeding two hundred taka, and in default of payment, to simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, unless such fine be sooner paid.
Record in such cases
481.(1) In every such case the Court shall record the facts constituting the offence, with the statement (if any) made by the offender, as well as the finding and sentence.
(2) If the offence is under section 228 of the Penal Code, the record shall show the nature and stage of the judicial proceeding in which the Court interrupted or insulted was sitting, and the nature of the interruption or insult.
Procedure where Court considers that case should not be dealt with under section 480
482.(1) If the Court in any case considers that a person accused of any of the offences referred to in section 480 and committed in its view or presence should be imprisoned otherwise than in default of payment of fine, or that a fine exceeding two hundred taka should be imposed upon him, or such Court is for any other reason of opinion that the case should not be disposed of under section 480, such Court, after recording the facts constituting the offence and the statement of the accused as hereinbefore provided, may forward the case to a Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the same, and may require security to be given for the appearance of such accused person before such Magistrate, or if sufficient security is not given, shall forward such person in custody to such Magistrate.
(2) The Magistrate, to whom any case is forwarded under this section, shall proceed to hear the complaint against the accused person in manner hereinbefore provided.
When Registrar or Sub-Registrar to be deemed a Civil Court within sections 480 and 482
483. When the Government so directs, any Registrar or any Sub-Registrar appointed under the [
Registration Act, 1908] shall be deemed to be a Civil Court within the meaning of sections 480 and 482.
Discharge of offender on submission or apology
484. When any Court has under section 480 or section 482 adjudged an offender to punishment or forwarded him to a Magistrate for trial for refusing or omitting to do anything which he was lawfully required to do or for any international insult or interruption the Court may, in its discretion, discharge the offender or remit the punishment on his submission to the order or requisition of such Court, or on apology being made to its satisfaction.
Imprisonment or committal of person refusing to answer or produce document
485. If any witness or person called to produce a document or thing before a Criminal Court refuses to answer such questions as are put to him or to produce any document or thing in his possession or power which the Court requires him to produce, and does not offer any reasonable excuse for such refusal, such Court may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, sentence him to simple imprisonment, or by warrant under the hand of the presiding Magistrate or Judge commit him to the custody of an officer of the Court for any term not exceeding seven days, unless in the meantime such person consents to be examined and to answer, or to produce the document or thing. In the event of his persisting in his refusal, he may be dealt with according to the provisions of section 480 or section 482, and in the case of High Court Division shall be deemed guilty of a contempt.
Summary procedure for punishment for non-attendance by a witness in obedience to summons
[485A.(1) If any witness being summoned to appear before a Criminal Court is legally bound to appear at a certain place and time in obedience to the summons and without just excuse neglects or refuses to attend at that place or time or departs from the place where he has to attend before the time at which it is lawful for him to depart, and the Court before which the witness is to appear is satisfied that it is expedient in the interests of justice that such a witness should be tried summarily, the Court, may take cognizance of the offence and after given the offender an opportunity of showing cause why he should not be punished under this section, sentence him to fine not exceeding Taka two hundred and fifty.
(2) In every such case the Court shall follow, as nearly as may be practicable, the procedure prescribed for summary trials.]
Appeals from convictions in contempt cases
486.(1) Any person sentenced by any Court under section 480 or section 485 [or section 485A] may, notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, appeal to the Court to which decrees or orders made in such Court are ordinarily appealable.
(2) The provisions of Chapter XXXI shall, so far as they are applicable, apply to appeals under this section, and the appellate Court may alter or reverse the finding, or reduce or reverse the sentence appealed against.
(3) An appeal from such conviction by a Court of Small Causes shall lie to the Court of Session for the sessions division within which such Court is situate.
(4) An appeal from such conviction by any officer as Registrar or Sub-Registrar appointed as aforesaid may, when such officer is also Judge of a Civil Court, be made to the Court to which it would, under the preceding portion of this section, be made if such conviction were a decree by such officer in his capacity as such Judge, and in other cases may be made to the District Judge.
Certain Judges and Magistrates not to try offences referred to in section 195 when committed before themselves
487.(1) Except as provided in sections 480 [, 485 and 485A], no Judge of a Criminal Court or Magistrate, other than a Judge of [the Supreme Court] shall try any person for any offence referred to in section 195, when such offence is committed before himself or in contempt of his authority, or is brought under his notice as such Judge or Magistrate in the course of a judicial proceeding.
(2) [Omitted by section 2 and Schedule of the
Law Reforms Ordinance, 1978 (Ordinance No. XLIX of 1978).]
Chapter XXXVI
OF THE MAINTENANCE OF WIVES AND CHILDREN.
Omitted
[***]
Chapter XXXVII
DIRECTIONS OF THE NATURE OF A Habeas Corpus
Omitted
491A. [Omitted by Schedule of the Criminal Law (Extinction of Discriminatory Privileges) Act, 1949 (Act No. II of 1950).]
Power to issue directions of the nature of a habeas corpus
491.(1) The High Court Division may, whenever it thinks fit, direct:-
(a) that a person within the limits of its appellate criminal jurisdiction be brought up before the Court to be dealt with according to law;
(b) that a person illegally or improperly detained in public or private custody with such limits be set at liberty;
(c) that a prisoner detained in any jail situate within such limits be brought before the Court to be there examined as a witness in any matter pending or to be inquired into in such Court;
(d) that a prisoner detained as aforesaid be brought before a Court-martial or any Commissioners for trial or to be examined touching any matter pending before such Court-martial or Commissioners respectively;
(e) that a prisoner within such limits be removed from one custody to another for the purpose of trial ; and
[* * *]
(2) The [Supreme Court] may, from time to time, frame rules to regulate the procedure in cases under this section.
[(3) Nothing in this section applies to persons detained under any law for the time being in force providing for preventive detention.]
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Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
