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PREVENTION OF SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT, 1911
10 of 1911
22nd March, 1911
"The Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act, 1907, which was continued by the Continuing Act, 1910, until the thirty first day of March, 1911, will expire on the last named date unless further continued. It is now deemed advisable, Instead of merely continuing or making permanent the existing Act, to introduce a Bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of public meetings likely to promote sedition or to cause disturbance of public tranquillity......." -Gazette of India, 1911, Part V, page 100. -Extended in Punjab by Punj Act 5 of l950; 30 of l958. -Repealed in part by Act 12 of 1927.
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of public meetings likely to promote sedition or to cause a disturbance of public tranquillity. Whereas it is expedient to cosolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of public meetings likely to promote sedition or to cause a disturbance of public tranquillity; It is hereby enacted as follows:-
SECTION 01: SHORT TITLE AND EXTENT
(1) This Act maybe called The Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act, 1911.
(2) It extends to the whole of India except2[territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in Part B States], but shall have operation only in such States or parts of States as the3[State Government] may from time to time notify in the4[Official Gazette].
SECTION 02: POWER OF STATE GOVERNMENT TO NOTIFY PROCLAIMED AREAS
(1) The 5[State Government] may,6[* * *] by notification in the Official Gazette, declare the whole or any part of a5[State], in which this Act is for the time being in operation, to be a proclaimed area.
(2) A notification made under sub -section (1) shall not remain in force for more than six months, but nothing in this sub-section shall be deemed to prevent the 5[State Government]6[* * *] from-making any further notifications in respect of the same area from time to time as it may think fit.
SECTION 03: DEFINITION
(1) In this Act, the expression "public meeting" means a meeting which is open to the public or any class or portion of the public.
(2) A meeting may be a public meeting notwithstanding that it is held in a private place and notwithstanding that admission thereto may have been restricted by ticket or otherwise.
SECTION 04: NOTICE TO BE GIVEN OF PUBLIC MEETINGS
SECTION 05: POWER TO PROHIBIT PUBLIC MEETINGS
The District Magistrate or the Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, may at any time, by order in writing, of which public notice shall forthwith be given, prohibit any public meeting in a proclaimed area if, in his opinion, such meeting is likely to promote sedition or disaffection or to cause a disturbance of the public transquility.
SECTION 06: PENALTIES
(1) Any person concerned in the promotion or conduct of a public meeting held in a proclaimed area contrary to the provisions of Section 4-shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
(2) Any public meeting which has been prohibited under Section 5-shall be deemed to be an unlawful assembly within the meaning of Chapter VIII of the Indian Penal Code-and of Chapter IX of the Code of Criminal Procedure. 1898-.
SECTION 07: PENALTY FOR DELIVERY OF SPEECHES IN PUBLIC PLACES
Whoever, in a proclaimed area, in a public place or a place of public resort, otherwise than at a public meeting held in accordance with, or exempted from, the provisions of section 4-, without the permission in writing of the Magistrate of the district or of the
Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, previously obtained, delivers any lecture, address or speech on any subject likely to cause disturbance or public excitement to persons then present may be arrested without warrant and shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
SECTION 08: COGNISANCE OF OFFENCES
No Court inferior to that of a Presidency Magistrate or of a Magistrate of the first class or Sub-Divisioinal Magistrate shall try any offence against this Act.
SECTION 09: REPEALS
[Repealed by the Repealing Act, 1927 (XII of 1927), S. 2 and Schedule.]
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