Diplomatic Immunities (Common wealth Countries Representatives), Act, 1957

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THE DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES (COMMONWEALTH 
COUNTRIES REPRESENTATIVES) ACT, 1957 
              
 
  
CONTENTS 
1.  Short title, extent and commencement 
2.  Definitions 
3.  Immunity of chief representative 
4.  Immunity of member of staff or family 
5.  Rules for grant of consular immunity 
6.  Waiver of immunity 
7.  Certificate regarding immunity 
8.  Rules 
 
 

 
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THE DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITIES (COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES 
REPRESENTATIVES) ACT, 1957 
 
ACT NO. XXIX OF 1957 
[30th April, 1957] 
 
An Act to declare and confer certain immunities on representatives in Pakistan of Commonwealth 
Countries and on certain other persons. 
 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to declare and confer certain immunities upon representatives in 
Pakistan of Commonwealth Countries and on certain other persons and to provide for certain other 
matters; 
 
 It is hereby enacted as follows:___  
 
 1. Short title, extent and commencement.____ (1) This Act may be called the Diplomatic 
Immunities (Commonwealth Countries Representatives) Act, 1957. 
 
 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan. 
 
 (3) It shall come into force at once. 
 
 2. Definitions. ____ In this Act unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context:___ 
 
(a)  “chief representative” means a person whether known by the title of High 
Commissioner or by any other title, who for the time being is recognized by 
the Government of Pakistan as the chief representative in Pakistan of a 
Commonwealth Country for the purposes of this Act ; 
 
(b)  “envoy” means the envoy of a foreign sovereign power duly accredited in 
Pakistan ; 
 
(c)  “member of the family” of a person means his wife and his unmarried children 
below the age of twentyone, when resident with him ; 
 
(d)  “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act ; 
 
(e)  “staff” of a chief representative includes every person employed by the chief 
representative but not servants employed by a member of the staff ; 
 
(f)  “the official staff” of a chief representative means officials employed in a 
representative capacity directly under the orders of the chief representative. 
 
 3. Immunity of chief representative.___ A chief representative is and shall be entitled to the 
immunity from suit and legal process, and to the inviolability of residence, official premises and 
official archives, to which he would be entitled if he were an envoy. 
 
 4. Immunity of member of staff or family.___ (1) Subject to sub-section (2) a person who 
is,___  
 
 
 
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 (a)  a member of the family of a chief representative, 
 
(b)  a member of the staff of a chief representative, or 
 
(c)  a member of the family of a member of the official staff of a chief 
representative, 
 
 is and shall be entitled to the immunity from suit and legal process to which he would be 
entitled if the chief representative were an envoy. 
 
 (2) When a person who is a member of the staff of a chief representative is or is deemed to be 
a citizen of Pakistan___  
 
(a)  that person is and shall be entitled to immunity under this Act only in respect 
of things done or omitted to be done in the course of the performance of his 
duties as a member of that staff ; and 
 
(b)  a member of the family of that person is not by reason only of his being a 
member of that family entitled to any immunity under this Act. 
 
 5. Rules for grant of consular immunity.___ The President may make rules providing that 
any person who holds any prescribed office in the service of the Government of a prescribed part of 
the Commonwealth shall, on being recognized by the Government of Pakistan in the prescribed 
manner as a person entitled to the immunity from suit and legal process and to the inviolability of 
official premises and official archives to which he would be entitled if he were a consular officer of a 
foreign sovereign power, be so entitled. 
 
 6. Waiver of immunity.___ (1) A chief representative may waive any right to immunity or 
inviolability to which— 
 
(a)  he or a member of his family, 
(b)  a member of his staff, or 
(c)  a member of the family of a member of his official staff may be entitled under 
this Act. 
 (2) A person may waive any right to immunity or inviolability which has been conferred on 
him under the rules. 
 
 7. Certificate regarding immunity.___ (1) The Government may issue in the prescribed man-
ner a certificate certifying any fact relevant to the question whether a person is or is not entitled 
under this Act or the rules made thereunder to immunity from suit or legal process or to inviolability 
of residence, official premises or official archives. 
 
 (2) A certificate issued under sub-section (1) shall be conclusive evidence in any legal 
proceedings of the facts certified in the certificate. 
 
 8. Rules. — (1) The President may make rules for the purpose of carrying out the purposes of 
this Act. 
 
 (2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power the rules may provide that, if 
the President is of the opinion that persons representing Pakistan in any country within the 
 
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Commonwealth are not accorded treatment corresponding to the treatment accorded to persons 
representing that country in Pakistan, the recognition of any representative of that country for the 
purposes of this Act and the immunities and inviolabilities to which the representatives or other 
persons of that country are otherwise entitled under this Act or the rules made thereunder shall cease, 
or that the immunities and inviolabilities shall be curtailed to the extent and in the manner 
prescribed. 
 
 
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Date: 19-12-2024