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  "title": "DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1876",
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  "text": "THE DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1876 \r\n(XIX of 1876) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title \r\n2. “Magistrate” defined \r\n3. Power to prohibit certain dramatic performances \r\n4. Power to serve order of prohibition. Penalty for disobeying order \r\n5. Power to notify order \r\n6. Penalty for disobeying prohibition \r\n7. Power to call for information \r\n8. Power to grant warrant to Police to enter and arrest and seize \r\n9. Saving of prosecutions under Penal Code, sections 124-A and 294 \r\n10. Power to prohibit dramatic performance in any local area, except under \r\nlicense \r\n11. Omitted \r\n12. Exclusion of performance at religious festivals \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES ACT, 1876 \r\n(XIX of 1876) \r\n[23rd December, 1876] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nfor the better control of public dramatic performances. \r\nPreamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to empower the Government to prohibit public \r\ndramatic performances which are scandalous, defamatory, seditious or obscene; \r\n It is hereby enacted as follows:– \r\n1. Short title.– This Act may be called the Dramatic Performances Act, 1876. \r\nLocal extent.– It extends to \r\n2\r\n[the whole of Pakistan]. \r\n3\r\n[* * * * * * * * * * * *   ] \r\n2. “Magistrate” defined .– In this Act “Magistrate” means,  \r\n4\r\n[* * *  * * ] the \r\nMagistrate of the district. \r\n3. Power to prohibit certain dramatic performances.– Whenever the \r\n5\r\n[Provincial \r\nGovernment] is of opinion that any play, pantomime or other drama performed or about \r\nto be performed in a public place is– \r\n(a) of a scandalous or defamatory nature, or \r\n(b) likely to excite feelings of disaffection to the Government established \r\nby law in \r\n6\r\n[Pakistan], or \r\n(c) likely to deprave and corrupt persons present at the performance,  \r\n                                                 \r\n1For the Statement  of Objects and Reasons, see Gazette of India, 1876, Pt. V, p.347; for Proceeding in Council, see ibid., \r\nSupplement, pp.328,343 and 1341. \r\nThis Act was published in the Gazette of India, Part IV, dated 23.12.1876, pages 387-388. \r\n2Substituted for the words  “all the Provinces and the Capital of the Federation” by the Central Laws (Statute Reform) \r\nOrdinance, 1960 (XXI of 1960); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary) , dated 9.6.1960, pages 725-845, see \r\nArticle 3 & Second Schedule (w.e.f. 14.10.1955), which had been firstly substituted for the words “the whole of British India” by \r\nthe Adaptation of Central Acts and Ordinances Order, 1949 (G.G.O. 4 of 1949) ; and published in the Gazette of Pakistan \r\n(Extraordinary), dated 28.3.1949, pages 223-283, see Article 3 & Schedule. \r\n3Repealed t he words “And it shall come into force at once” by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1914 (X of 1914) ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India, Part IV, dated 21.3.1914, pages 47- 59, see section 3 & the Second Schedule. \r\n4Omitted the words “in the Presidency -towns, a Magistrate of Police, and elsewhere” by the Adaptation of Central Acts and \r\nOrdinances Order, 1949 (G.G.O. 4 of 1949); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary),  dated 28.3.1949, pages \r\n223-283, see Article 3 & Schedule. \r\n5Substituted for the words “Local Government” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations. \r\n6Substituted for “British India [or British Burma]” by the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Act, 1951 (XXVI of 1951); and \r\npublished in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary) , dated12.5.1951, pages 340-388, see s.4 and Third Schedule . The words \r\nin brackets had been inserted by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and published in the \r\nGazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 3 & First Schedule. \r\nthe \r\n7\r\n[Provincial Government] \r\n8\r\n[* * * * * *] or such Magistrate as it may empower \r\nin this behalf, may by order prohibit the performance. \r\nExplanation.– Any building or enclosure to which the public are admitted to witness \r\na performance on payment of money shall be deemed a “public place” within the \r\nmeaning of this section. \r\n4. Power to serve order of prohibition. Penalty for disobeying order.– A copy \r\nof any such order may be served on any person about to take part in the performance \r\nso prohibited, or on the owner or occupier of any house, room or place in which such \r\nperformance is intended to take place; and any person on whom such copy is served, \r\nand who does, or willingly permits, any act in disobedience to such order, shall be \r\npunished on conviction before a Magistrate with imprisonment for a term which may \r\nextend to three months, or with fine, or with both. \r\n5. Power to notify order.–  Any such order may be notified by proclamation, and a \r\nwritten or printed notice thereof may be stuck up at any place or places adapted for giving \r\ninformation of the order to the persons intending to take part in or to witness the \r\nperformance so prohibited. \r\n6. Penalty for disobeying prohibition .– Whoever after the  notification of any \r\nsuch order– \r\n(a) takes part in the p erformance prohibited thereby or in any performance \r\nsubstantially the same as the performance so prohibited, or \r\n(b) in any manner assists in conducting any such performance, or \r\n(c) is, in willful disobedience to such order, present as a spectator during \r\nthe whole or any part of any such performance, or \r\n(d) being the owner or occupier, or having the use of any house, room or \r\nplace, opens, keeps or uses the same for any such performance, or \r\npermits the same to be opened, kept or used for any such \r\nperformance, \r\nshall be punishable on conviction before a Magistrate with imprisonment for a \r\nterm which may extend to three months, or with fine, or with both. \r\n7. Power to call for information .– For the purpose of ascertaining the \r\ncharacter of any intended public dramatic performance, the \r\n9\r\n[Provincial Government], \r\nor such officer as it may specially empower in this behalf, may apply to the author, \r\nproprietor or printer of the drama about to be performed, or to the owner or occupier \r\nof the place in which it is intended to  be performed, for such information as the \r\n10\r\n[Provincial Government] or such officer thinks necessary. \r\n                                                 \r\n7Substituted for the words “Local  Government” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations.  \r\n8Omitted t he words “or outside the Presiden cy-towns the Provincial Government” by the Adaptation of Central Acts and \r\nOrdinances Order, 1949 (G.G.O. 4 of 1949); and published in the Gazette of Pakistan (Extraordinary),  dated 28.3.1949, pages \r\n223-283, see Article 3 & the Schedule. \r\n9Substituted for t he words “Local Government” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations.   \r\n10Substituted ibid. \r\nEvery person so applied to shall be bound to furnish the same to the best of his \r\nability, and whoever contravenes this section shall be deemed to have com mitted an \r\noffence under section 176 of the 11\r\nPakistan Penal Code. \r\n8. Power to grant warrant to Police to enter and arrest and seize .– If any \r\nMagistrate has reason to believe that any house, room or place is used, or is about to \r\nbe used, for any performance prohibited under this Act, he may, by his warrant \r\nauthorize any Officer of Police to enter with such assistance as may be requisite, by \r\nnight or by day, and by force, if necessary, any such house, room or place, and to take \r\ninto custody all persons whom he finds therein, and to seize all scenery, dresses and \r\nother articles found therein and reasonably suspected to have been used, or to be \r\nintended to be used, for the purpose of such performance. \r\n9. Saving of prosecutions under Penal Code, sections 124 A and 294.– No \r\nconviction under this Act shall bar a prosecution under section 124A or section 294 of \r\nthe \r\n12\r\nPakistan Penal Code. \r\n10. Power to prohibit dramatic performance in any local area, except under \r\nlicense.– Whenever it appears to the \r\n13\r\n[Provincial Government] that the provisions of \r\nthis section are required in any local area, it may  \r\n14\r\n[* * * *]  declare, by notification in \r\nthe \r\n15\r\n[Official Gazette], that such provisions are applied to such area from a day to be \r\nfixed in the notification.  \r\nOn and after that day,  the \r\n16\r\n[Provincial Government ] may order that no \r\ndramatic performance shall take place in any place of public entertainment within \r\nsuch area, except under a license to be granted by such  \r\n17\r\n[Provincial Government], \r\nor such officer as it may specially empower in this behalf. \r\nThe \r\n18\r\n[Provincial Government ] may also order that no dramatic performance \r\nshall take place in any place of public entertainment within such area, unless a copy \r\nof the piece, if and so far as it is written, or some sufficient account of its p urport, if \r\nand so far as it is in pantomime, has been furnished, not less than three days before \r\nthe performance to the  \r\n19\r\n[Provincial Government] or to such officer as it may appoint \r\nin this behalf. \r\nA copy of any order under this section may be served on an y keeper of a \r\nplace of pub lic entertainment; and if there after he does, or willingly permits, any act \r\nin disobedience to such order, he shall be punishable on conviction before a \r\n                                                 \r\n11XLV of 1860. \r\n12XLV of 1860. \r\n13Substituted for the words “Local Government” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations.  \r\n14Repealed the words “with the sanction of the G.G. in C.” by the Decentralization Act, 1914 (IV of 1914) ; and published in the \r\nGazette of India, Part IV, dated 28.2.1914, pages 21-32, see section 2 & the Schedule, Part I. \r\n15Substituted for “local official Gazette” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and published in \r\nthe Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations. \r\n16Substituted for the words “Local Gover nment” by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and \r\npublished in the Gazette of India (Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article 4 & Table of General Adaptations.  \r\n17Substituted ibid. \r\n18Substituted Ibid. \r\n19Substituted ibid. \r\nMagistrate with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with \r\nfine, or with both. \r\n20\r\n[11. Power exercisable by Governor-General.– * * * * * *   ] \r\n12. Exclusion of performance at religious festivals .– Nothing in this Act \r\napplies to any jatras or performances of a like kind at religious festivals. \r\n                                                 \r\n20Repealed by the Government of India (Adaptation of Indian Laws) Order, 1937 ; and published in the Gazette of India \r\n(Extraordinary), dated 1.4.1937, pages 75-344, see Article3 and First Schedule.",
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