#THE PANJAB LAWS ACT, 1872
__________

##ARRANGEMENT OF SECTION 
____________ 

SECTIONS 

1. Short title. 
2. Local extent. 
Commencement. 
3. Enactments in force. 
4. [Repealed.]. 

*Civil Judicature*

5. Decisions in certain cases to be according to Native law. 
6. Decisions in cases not specially provided for. 
7. Local customs and mercantile usages when valid. 

*Descent of Jaghirs*

8. [Repealed.]. 
8-A. [Repealed.]. 
8-B. [Repealed.]. 
8-C. [Repealed.]. 

*Pre-Emption*

9. [Repealed.]. 
10. [Repealed.]. 
11. [Repealed.]. 
12. [Repealed.]. 
13. [Repealed.]. 
14. [Repealed.]. 
15. [Repealed.]. 
16. [Repealed.]. 
17. [Repealed.]. 
18. [Repealed.]. 
19. [Repealed.]. 
20. [Repealed.]. 

*Decrees Concerning Land*

21. [Repealed.]. 

*Insolvency*

22. [Repealed.]. 
23. [Repealed.]. 
24. [Repealed.]. 
25. [Repealed.]. 
26. [Repealed.]. 
27. [Repealed.]. 
28. [Repealed.]. 
29. [Repealed.]. 
30. [Repealed.]. 
31. [Repealed.]. 
32. [Repealed.]. 
33. [Repealed.]. 

*Minors and The Court of Wards*

34.  [Repealed.]. 
35.  [Repealed.]. 
36.  [Repealed.]. 
37.  [Repealed.]. 
38.  [Repealed.]. 

*Criminal Judicature*

39. Indian Penal Code to apply to offences committed previous to 1st January, 1862. 
Saving of privileges conferred on certain Chiefs. 

39-A. Power to establish system of village-watchmen, and municipal-watchmen and to make rules. 

39-B. Obligation to assist watchmen and headmen. 
Person obstructing watchman or headman may be arrested without warrant. 

39-C. Power to direct local taxation for payment of police enrolled under Act 5 of 1861. 

39-D. Notice of taxes proposed to be levied. 
Objections to taxation. 
Procedure thereon. 

39-E. Power to fix rates of tax. 

39-F. Power to make rules for collection of taxes. 

39-G. [Repealed.]. 

*Honorary Police-Officers*

40. State Government may confer powers of police-officer. 

*Track Law*

41. Trackers may call for assistance in carrying on tracks. 
Limit 

42. Penalty for withholding assistance or conniving at offence or escape. 
Limit to fine. 
Appeal to High Court. 
Fine may be awarded to injured parties, and fee to tracker. 

*Slaughter of Kine*

43. Control of slaughter of kine and sale of beef. 

*Armed Men and Foreign Vagrants*

44. Control of entry into towns of bands of armed men. 
45. Powers of Magistrate of district as to foreign vagrants. 
46. Surveillance, etc., of band failing to comply with Magistrate's order. 

*Miscellaneous*

47. Crossing of streams on buoys or skins. 
48. Use of pasturage or natural product of Government land.
49. [Replead.]. 
50. Power to make rules as to matters mentioned in Sections 43 to 48. 
Existing Rules. 
50-A. Conditions of validity of rules hereafter made under this Act. 
50-B. Penalties for breach of such rules. 
51. Republication of rules and orders. 
52. [Repealed.]. 

Schedule I. —ENACTMENTS DECLARED TO BE IN FORCE. 

Schedule II.—[Repealed.]. 
 
 

#THE PANJAB LAWS ACT, 1872 

##ACT NO. IV OF 1872 

[28th March, 1872.] 

An Act for declaring which of certain rules, laws and regulations have the force of law in the Panjab, and 
for other purposes. 

**Preamble.**—WHEREAS certain rules, laws and regulations, made heretofore for the Punjab, acquired the 
force of law under the provisions of section 25 of the Indian Councils Act, 1861; and whereas it is expedient 
to declare which of the said rules, laws and regulations shall henceforth be in force in the Panjab, and to 
amend,  consolidate  or  repeal  others  of  the  said  rules,  orders  and  regulations;  It  is  hereby  enacted  as 
follows:— 

1. **Short title.**— This Act may be called “The Panjab Laws Act, 1872. 

2. **Local extent. Commencement.**—  It  extends to the  territories which immediately before the 1st 
November, 1956, were comprised in the States of Panjab and Delhi, but not so as to alter the effect of any 
regulations made for any parts of the said territories under the Statute 33 Vict,  Section 1; 

And it shall come into force on the first day of June, 1872. 

3. **Enactments in force.**—  The  Regulations,  Acts  and  orders  specified  in  the  First  Schedule  hereto 
annexed are in force in the territories to which this Act extends to the extent specified in the third column 
of the said Schedule. 

4. **Enactments repealed.**—*[Repealed  by  the  Second  Repealing  and  Amending  Act,  1914 (17  of 
1914), Section 3 and Schedule II.]*

*Civil Judicature*

5. **Decisions in certain cases to be according to Native law.**—In questions regarding succession, 
special property of females, betrothal, marriage, divorce, dower, adoption, guardianship, minority, bastardy, 
family relations, wills, legacies, gifts, partitions, or any religious usage or institution, 

the rule of decision shall be— 

(1) any custom applicable to the parties concerned, which is not contrary to justice, equity or good 
conscience,  and  has  not  been  by  this  or  any  other  enactment  altered  or  abolished  and  has  not  been 
declared to be void by any competent authority; 

(2) the Muhammadan law, in cases where the parties are Muhammadans, and the Hindu law, in cases 
where the parties are Hindus, except in so far as such law has been altered or abolished by legislative 
enactment, or is opposed to the provisions of this Act, or has been modified by any such custom as is 
above referred to.

6. **Decisions in cases not specially provided for.**— In cases not otherwise specially provided for, the 
Judges shall decide according to justice, equity and good conscience. 

7. **Local customs and mercantile usages when valid.**— All local customs and mercantile usages shall 
be  regarded  as  valid,  unless  they  are  contrary  to  justice,  equity  or  good  conscience,  or  have,  before  the 
passing of this Act, been declared to be void by any competent authority. 

*Descent Of Jaghirs*

8. **Repealed.**—[Subs. by the Punjab Descent of Jaghirs Act, 1900 (Pun. 4 of 1900), s. 2.] 

8-A. **Repealed.**— [Subs. by the Punjab Descent of Jaghirs Act, 1900 (Pun. 4 of 1900), s. 2.] 

8-B. **Repealed.** — [Subs. by the Punjab Descent of Jaghirs Act, 1900 (Pun. 4 of 1900), s. 2.] 

8-C. **Repealed.** — [Subs. by the Punjab Descent of Jaghirs Act, 1900 (Pun. 4 of 1900), s. 2.] 

*Pre-Emption*

9. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

10. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

11. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

12. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

13. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

14. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

15. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

16. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

17. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

18. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

19. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

20. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Pre-emption Act, 1905 (Punjab Act 2 of 1905), Section 2(1).] 

*Decrees Concerning Land*

21. **Copy of decrees affecting land to be forwarded to Deputy Commissioner.**— [Repealed by the 
Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 (17 of 1887).] 

*Insolvency*

22. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

23. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

24. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

25. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

26. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

27. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

28. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

29. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

30. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

31. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

32. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Provincial Insolvency Act, 1907 (3 of 1907).] 

33. **Saving of previous insolvency proceedings.**— [Repealed by the Amending Act, 1891 (12 of 1891).] 

*Minors And The Court Of Wards*

34. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Court of Wards Act, 1903 (Punjab Act 2 of 1903), Section 
2(1).] 

35. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Court of Wards Act, 1903 (Punjab Act 2 of 1903), Section 
2(1).] 

36. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Court of Wards Act, 1903 (Punjab Act 2 of 1903), Section 
2(1).] 

37. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Court of Wards Act, 1903 (Punjab Act 2 of 1903), Section 
2(1).] 

38. **Repealed.**— [Repealed by the Punjab Court of Wards Act, 1903 (Punjab Act 2 of 1903), Section 
2(1).] 

39. **Indian Penal Code to apply to offences committed previous to 1st January, 1862.**—  The 
provisions of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), with the exception of Chapter VI, shall be applicable to 
all offences committed before first January, 1862, in territory which was, at the time of the commission of 
such offence, subject to the State Government of the Punjab: 

**Saving of privileges conferred on certain Chiefs.**—Provided that nothing contained in this section 
shall affect any privilege conferred on certain Chiefs in the Punjab by the Central Government, or by the 
Board of Administration for the affairs of the Punjab, nor any indemnity or pardon granted by competent 
authority. 

39-A. **Power  to  establish  system  of  village-watchmen  and  municipal-watchmen,  and  to  make 
rules.**—The State Government may establish a system of village-watchmen or municipal-watchmen in any 
part of the territories under its administration, and in furtherance of this object may, from time to time, make 
rules to provide for the following matters:— 

  (a) the definition of the limits of watchmen's beats; 

  (b) the  determination  of  the  several  grades  of  watchmen,  and  the  number  of  each  grade  to  be 
appointed to each beat; 

  (c) the appointment, suspension, dismissal and resignation of watchmen of each grade; 

  (d) the equipment and discipline of, and the control and supervision over, such watchmen; 

  (e) the conferring upon them, and the exercise by them, of any powers and the enjoyment by them 
of any protection or privilege, which may be exercised and enjoyed by a police-officer under any law 
for the time being in force; 

  (f) the performance by them of such duties relating to police, sanitation or statistics, or for the benefit 
of the village communities or municipalities within their respective beats, as the State Government thinks 
fit; 

  (g) the exercise of authority over, and the rendering of aid to, such watchmen by headmen of the 
villages or members of the Municipal Committees of the towns comprised in their respective beats; 

  (h) the performance, by the headmen of villages comprised in the beat of any watchmen, of any of 
the duties of a village-watchman in aid of, or substitution for, such watchman; 

  (i) the exercise, by such village-headmen for the purposes referred to in clauses (g) and (h), or by 
members of Municipal Committees for the purposes referred to in clause (g) of this section, of any of 
the powers, and the enjoyment by such headmen or members of any privilege or protection, of a village-
watchman, or a municipal-watchman, as the case may be; 

  (j) the determination of the rate at which, and the mode in which, watchmen shall be paid, and, in 
the case of village-watchmen, of the mode in which their pay, the expenses of their equipment, and other 
charges connected with the village-watchman-system shall be provided for, whether out of cesses or funds 
already leviable or available in the villages comprised in the beat, or by a special tax in money or kind to 
be imposed on any class of persons residing or owning property in, or resorting to, such villages, or partly 
in one of these ways and partly in the other; 

  (k) the collection with or without the aid of the village-headmen, and by any process available for 
the realisation of the land-revenue, of any tax imposed under clause (j) of this section, and the application 
of, and the mode of accounting for, the same; and generally for 

  (l) the efficient working of the system of village-watchmen or municipal-watchmen: 

Provided— 

  *first*, that the rules to be made regarding the appointment of village-watchmen shall allow to the 
headmen of the villages comprised in the beat to which such a watchman is to be appointed a power of 
nomination  to  be  exercised  in  such  manner  and  subject  to  such  reasonable  conditions  as  may  be 
prescribed by such rules; 

  *secondly*, that the rules to be made under clause (j) of this section with regard to village-watchmen 
shall include provisions for recording and securing due consideration of the views and opinions on the 
matters therein referred to of the headmen of the villages comprised in each beat. 

39-B. **Obligation to assist watchmen and headmen.**— Every person is bound to render to a village-
watchman, or municipal watchman, or village-headman discharging the duties of a police-officer under the 
rules made hereunder, all the assistance which he is bound to render to a police-officer. 

**Person obstructing watchman or headman may be arrested without warrant.**—Any person who 
obstructs such watchman or headman in the discharge of such duties may be arrested without warrant by a 
police-officer or by any watchman or village-headman empowered in this behalf by the State Government.

39-C. **Power to direct local taxation for payment of police enrolled under Act 5 of 1861.**—
Whenever it seems to the State Government expedient that the duties of watch-and-ward and other internal 
police-service of any town or village not comprised within the limits of a municipality or within the limits 
of a village-watchman's beat as defined under the power conferred by section 39-A should be performed by 
police-officers enrolled under Act 5 of 1861, the State Government may direct that the said service shall be 
so performed, and may also direct that the charges for the time being fixed by such Government on 
account of such service shall be defrayed by taxes to be levied in such town or village. 

39-D. **Notice of taxes proposed to be levied.**— When the State Government has, under section 39-C, 
directed that taxes shall be levied in any town or village, the Deputy Commissioner may from time to time 
issue a public notice in such town or village explaining the nature of the taxes he proposes to levy. 

**Objections to taxation.**— Any inhabitant of such town or village objecting to the taxation thus proposed 
may, within fifteen days from the publication of such notice, send his objection in writing to the Deputy 
Commissioner. 

**Procedure thereon.**— After the expiry of fifteen days from the publication of the notice, the Deputy 
Commissioner may submit for the information of the State Government a report of the proposal made by 
him.  Such  report  shall  contain  specific  mention  of  the  objections  (if  any)  urged  to  his  proposal  and  his 
opinion on such objections. 

No such tax shall be levied until it has, upon such report, been approved by the State Government. 

39-E. **Power to fix rates of tax.**— When any such tax has been so approved by the State Government, 
the Deputy Commissioner may from time to time, subject to such rules consistent with this Act as the State 
Government may from time to time prescribe, determine the rates at which it is to be levied. 

39-F. **Power to make rules for collection of taxes.**—The State Government may from time to time 
make rules to provide for the collection of such taxes by any process available for the realisation of the land-
revenue and to regulate the application and mode of accounting for the same. 

39-G. **Validation clause.**—[Repealed by the Amending Act, 1891 (12 of 1891).] 

*Honorary Police-Officers*

40. **State Government may confer powers of police-officer.**— The State Government may, if it thinks 
fit, confer on any person any of the powers which may be exercised by a police-officer under any Act for 
the time being in force, and may withdraw any powers so conferred. 

*Track Law*

41. **Trackers may call for assistance in carrying on tracks.**— When an offence is, has been, or may 
reasonably  be  supposed  to  have  been  committed,  and  the  tracks  of  the  persons  who  may  reasonably  be 
supposed to have committed such offence, or of any animal or other property reasonably supposed to be 
connected with such offence, are followed to a spot within the immediate vicinity of a village, the person 
following such tracks may call upon any headman or village-watchman in such village to assist in carrying 
on the tracks. 

42. **Penalty for withholding assistance or conniving at offence or escape.**—  If  such  headman  or 
watchman  do  not  forthwith  give  such  assistance,  or  if  the  inhabitants  of  such  village  do  not  afford  full 
opportunity for search in their houses for the offenders, or, if from the circumstances of the case, there shall 
appear good reason to believe that the inhabitants of such village, or any of them were conniving at the 
offence  or  at  the  escape  of  the  offenders,  and  such  offenders  cannot  be  traced  beyond  the  village,  the 
Magistrate of the district may, with the previous sanction of the Commissioner of the Division inflict a fine 
upon such village not exceeding five hundred rupees, except in the case of stolen property over five hundred 
rupees in value, in which case the fine shall not exceed the value of such property. 

**Appeal to High Court.**—An appeal against all convictions under this section shall lie to the High Court 
of Punjab and Haryana. 

**Fine may be awarded to injured parties, and fee to tracker.**—The Magistrate may direct that the fine 
imposed under this section or any part thereof shall be awarded to any persons injured by such offence in 
compensation for such injury; and, in the case of stolen property recovered through the agency of a tracker, 
may direct that such property be not restored to its owner until he has paid to such tracker such fee, not 
exceeding one-fourth part of the value of the stolen property, as the said Magistrate seems fit. 

*Slaughter Of Kine*

43. **Control of slaughter of kine and sale of beef.**— The slaughter of kine and the sale of beef shall 
not take place except subject to rules to be from time to time, either generally or in any particular 
instance, prescribed by the State Government. 

*Armed Men And Foreign Vagrants*

44. **Control of entry into towns of bands of armed men.**— No band of armed men shall enter into any 
city or town, except subject to rules to be from time to time, either generally or in any particular 
instance, prescribed by the State Government. 

45. **Powers of Magistrate of district as to foreign vagrants.**— The Magistrate of the district may, if 
he considers that any band of foreign vagrants is likely to occasion a breach of the peace or to commit any 
offence under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), prohibit such band from entering his district; or, if they 
are already in his district, may require them within a given time to leave it. 

46. **Surveillance, etc., of band failing to comply with Magistrate's order.**— If any such band fail to 
comply with the orders of the said Magistrate within the prescribed period, he shall report the matter to the 
State  Government,  and  the  State  Government  may  give  such  directions  for  the  surveillance,  control  or 
deportation of such band as to it seems fit. 

*MISCELLANEOUS*

47. **Crossing of streams on buoys or skins.**— No person shall cross any river or stream on a buoy or 
inflated skin, nor shall have in his possession or custody any buoy or skin for the purpose of being used in 
crossing any river or stream, except subject to rules to be from time to time, either generally or in 
any particular instance, prescribed by the State Government. 

48. **Use of pasturage or natural product of Government land.**— No person shall make use of the 
pasturage or other natural product of any land being the property of the Government, except with the consent 
and  subject  to  rules  to  be  from  time  to  time,  either  generally  or  in  any  particular  instance,  prescribed                
by the Government concerned.

49. **Growing, selling or keeping opium.**—[Repealed by the Opium Act, 1878 (1 of 1878), Section 2 and 
Schedule.] 

50. **Power to make rules as to matters mentioned in sections 43 to 48.**—The State Government may 
from time to time make rules as to the matters mentioned in sections 43 to 48 inclusive. 

**Existing rules.**—All existing rules upon such matters, which might have been made under this section 
had it been in force, shall be deemed to have been made hereunder. 

50-A. **Conditions of validity of rules hereafter made under this Act.**—(1) Rules made under this 
Act shall not be valid unless:— 

  (a) they are consistent with the laws for the time being in force in the territories to which this Act 
extends; 

  (b) they are published in the Official Gazette; 

(2) Every rule made by the State Government under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is 
made, before the State Legislature.

50-B. **Penalties for breach of such rules.**—The State Government may, in making any rule under any 
of the powers conferred by this Act, attach to the breach of it, in addition to any other consequences that 
would ensue from such breach, a punishment on conviction before a Magistrate not exceeding six months' 
imprisonment, or three hundred rupees fine, or both.

51. **Republication of rules and orders.**— All rules which the State Government is empowered to 
issue under this Act, and all circulars issued by the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, shall be republished 
from time to time by the State Government, and upon such republication, shall be arranged in the order of 
their subject-matter, and all such alterations or amendments as may have been made since the last preceding 
publication thereof, or may have become necessary or advisable, shall be embodied therewith, and upon 
such republication all such rules and circulars previously issued shall be repealed.

52. **Recovery of advances made by Government.**—[Repealed  by  the  Northern  India  Takkavi  Act, 
1879 (10 of 1879).] 
 
                                                           
 
###Schedule I 

###ENACTMENTS DECLARED TO BE IN FORCE 

*Explanation.*—This schedule does not refer to any Act which is in its terms applicable to the Punjab, or 
which has been extended to the Punjab by competent authority. 

No. and year 			Title						 								Extent to which the enactment is in force 

Reg. I of 1798 		A Regulation to prevent Fraud and Injustice in Conditional Sales of 		The whole, except such parts as relate to interest. 
 				Land under Deeds of bai-bil-wuffa, or other Deeds of the same nature. 

Reg. XVII 1806 	A Regulation for extending to the State of Benares the Rates of Interest 	Sections 7 and 8. 
of 				on future Loans and Provisions relative thereto, contained in Regulation 
 				XV, 1793; also for a general extension of the period fixed by Regulations 
 				I,  1798,  and  XXXIV,  1803,  for  the  redemption  of  Mortgages  and 
 				Conditional Sales of Land, under Deeds of bai-bil-wuffa Kutcubaleb, or 
 				other similar designation. 

Reg.  XI  of 1825 	A  Regulation  for  declaring  the  Rules  to  be  observed  in  determining 	The whole. 
 				Claims to Lands gained by alluvion or by dereliction of a river or the 
 				sea. 

 				Rules for the conservancy of Forests and Jungles in the Hill Districts of  		The whole. 
 				the Punjab Territories, sanctioned by the Governor General in Council 
 				in letter of the Secretary to the Government of India, No. 1789, 21st May 
 				1855. 



##Schedule II 

**Enactments Repealed.**—[Repealed by the Second Repealing and Amending Act, 1914 (17 of 1914).]