THE OUDH LAWS ACT, 1876 ———
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS ————
PART I PRELIMINARY
PREAMBLE.
SECTIONS.
PART II GENERAL LAWS TO BE ADMINISTERED IN OUDH
PART III CHAPTER I DOWER AMONG MUHAMMADANS
Rule applicable after husband’s death.
CHAPTER II
PRE-EMPTION
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SECTIONS.
CHAPTER III PROCEDURE OF THE COURTS
CHAPTER IV VILLAGE AND ROAD-POLICE
CHAPTER V SUBSIDIARY RULES
Penalty for breach of rules.
[Repealed.]
CHAPTER VI MISCELLANEOUS Honorary Civil Jurisdiction
Honorary police-officers
Creation and alteration of districts and sub-divisions
THE FIRST SCHEDULE.—[Repealed.] THE SECOND SCHEDULE.
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THE OUDH LAWS ACT, 1876
ACT NO. 18 OF 1876
An Act to declare and amend the laws to be administered in Oudh.
WHEREAS it is expedient to declare and amend the laws to be administered in Oudh; It is hereby
enacted as follows: —
[10th October, 1876.]
PART I
PRELIMINARY
Short title.—This Act may be called the Oudh Laws Act, 1876.
Local extent.— It extends only to 1* * * Oudh;
Commencement.—and it shall come into force on the passing thereof.
[Repeal of enactments.]—Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1938 (1 of 1938), s. 2 and Sch.
PART II
GENERAL LAWS TO BE ADMINISTERED IN OUDH
Oudh shall be as follows:—
(a) the laws for the time being in force regulating the assessment and collection of land-revenue;
(b) in questions regarding succession, special property of females, betrothal, marriage, divorce, dower, adoption, guardianship, minority, bastardy, family relations, wills, gifts, legacies, 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, by this or any other enactment, altered or abolished, or has been modified by any such custom as is above referred to:
(c) the rules contained in this Act:
(d) the rules published in the Official Gazette as provided by section 40, or made under any
other Act for the time being in force in Oudh:
(e) the Regulations and Acts specified in the second schedule hereto annexed, subject to the provisions of section 4, and to the modifications mentioned in the third column of the same schedule:
Application Act, 1937 (26 of 1937); see s. 6 of that Act.
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(f) subject to the modifications hereinafter mentioned, all enactments for the time being in force and expressly, or by necessary implication, applying to 1[the territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956 were comprised in Part A States and Part C States] or Oudh, or some part of Oudh:
(g) In cases not provided for by the former part of this section, or by any other law for the time
being in force, the Courts shall act according to justice, equity and good conscience.
PART III
CHAPTER I
DOWER AMONG MUHAMMADANS
Rule applicable after husband’s death.—This rule shall be applicable whether the suit to enforce
the contract be brought in the husband's life time or after his death
CHAPTER II
PRE-EMPTION
Right of pre-emption.—The right of pre-emption is a right of the persons hereinafter in mentioned or referred to, to acquire, in the cases hereinafter specified, immovable property in preference to all other persons.
Presumption as to its existence.—Unless the existence of any custom or contract to the contrary
is proved, such right shall, whether recorded in the settlement-record or not, be presumed—
(a) to exist in all village-communities, however constituted, and whether proprietary or
under-proprietary, and in the cases referred to in section 40 of the Oudh Land-revenue
Act, 2(17 of 1876), and
(b) to extend to the village-site, to the houses built upon it, to all lands and shares of lands within
the village-boundary, and to all transferable rights affecting such lands.
Its existence in towns to be proved.—The right of pre-emption shall not be presumed to exist in any town or city, or any sub-division thereof, but may be whom to exist therein and to be exercisable therein by such persons and under such circumstances as the local custom prescribes.
Subs. by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 2) Order, 1956, for “Part A States and Part C States”.
See now the U.P. Land Revenue Act, 1901 (U.P. 3 of 1901).
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9. Devolution of right when property to be sold or foreclosed is a proprietary or under
proprietary tenure.—If to be under-proprietary tenure, or a share of such a tenure, the right to buy or redeem such property belongs, in the absence of a custom to the contrary,—
property
the
sold or foreclosed is a proprietary or
1st,
to co-sharers of the sub-division (if any) of the tenure in which the property is
comprised, in order of their relationship to the vendor or mortgagor;
2ndly, to co-sharers of the whole mahal in the same order;
3rdly, to any member of the village-community; and
4thly, if the property be an under proprietary tenure, to the proprietor.
Where two or more persons are equally entitled to such right, the person to exercise the same shall
be determined by lot.
1[9A. When a suit for pre-emption lies.—No suit shall lie for enforcing a right of pre-emption
under this Act in respect of a portion only of the property sold or foreclosed:
Provided that, where the plaintiff has a right of pre-emption in respect of only a portion of the property sold or foreclosed, then notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any enactment a suit for the pre-emption of that portion only shall lie and the plaintiff shall have to pay the proportionate price or the proportionate amount due in respect of such mortgage for such portion of the property as the case may be.]
2[Provided that, where a person has a right of pre-emption in respect of a portion only of the property proposed to be sold or foreclosed, the notice to such person shall specify the proportionate amount of the price or the proportionate amount due in respect of such mortgage at which the person proposing to sell or foreclose is willing to sell or redeem such portion of the property, as the case may be.]
Such notice shall be given through the Court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction the property or any part thereof is situate, and shall be deemed sufficiently given if it be stuck up on the chaupal or other public place of the village or city in which the property is situate.
Loss of right of pre-emption.—Any person having a right of pre-emption in respect of any property proposed to be sold shall lose such right, unless within three months from the date of such notice he or his agent pays or tenders the price 3[specified in the notice given under the preceding section] to the person so proposing to sell.
Right of pre-emptor on foreclosure.—When the right of pre-emption arises in respect of the foreclosure of a mortgage 4[or a portion of the mortgage], any person entitled to such right may, at any time within three months after the giving of the notice required by section 10, pay or tender to the
Ins. by U.P. Act 15 of 1939, s. 2.
Ins. by s. 3, ibid.
Subs. by s. 4, ibid., for “aforesaid”.
Ins. by s. 5, ibid.
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mortgagee or his successor in title the amount specified in such notice, and shall thereupon acquire a right to purchase the property, 1[or a portion thereof, as the case may be].
On completion of the purchase the person exercising the right of re-emption shall be bound to pay to the mortgagee or his successor in title the amount specified in such notice, together with interest on the principal sum secured by the mortgage 1[or the proportionate amount of such principal sum in respect of the portion of the property in which he possesses the right of pre-emption, as the case may be], at the rate specified by the instrument of mortgage, for any time which has elapsed since the date of the notice, and any additional costs which may have been properly incurred by the mortgagee or his successor in title.
bring a suit to enforce such right on any of the following grounds (namely):—
(a) that no due notice was given as required by section 10;
(b) that tender was made under section 11 or section 12 and refused;
(c) in the case of a sale, that the price stated in the notice was not fixed in good faith;
(d) in the case of a mortgage, that the amount claimed by the mortgagee was not really due on the footing of the mortgage and was not claimed in good faith, and that it exceeds the fair market- value of the property mortgaged, 2[or the portion of the property mortgaged in respect of which he possesses the right of pre-emption, as the case may be].
If, in the case of a sale, the Court finds that the price was not fixed in good faith, the Courts shall fix such price as appears to it to be the fair market-value of the property sold, 2[or the portion of the property sold in respect of which he possesses the right of pre-emption, as the case may be].
If, in the case of a mortgage the Court finds that the amount claimed by the mortgagee was not really due on the footing of the mortgage, and that it was not claimed in good faith and that it exceeds the fair market-value of the property mortgaged 2[or the portion of the property mortgaged in respect of which he possesses the right of pre-emption, as the case may be], the amount to be paid to the mortgagee shall not exceed what the Court finds to be such market value.
day on or before which the purchase-money or the amount to be paid to the mortgagee shall be paid.
Effect of non-payment of purchase-money.—If such purchase-money or amount is not paid into Court before it rises on that day, the decree shall become void, and the plaintiff shall’ so far only as relates to such sale or mortgage, lose his right of pre-emption over the property to which the decree relates.
Ins. by U.P. Act 15 of 1939, s. 5.
Ins. by s. 6, ibid.
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CHAPTER III PROCEDURE OF THE COURTS
Nothing in this section affects the provisions of sections 102, 104 105, 106, 107 and 108 of the Oudh
Rent Act (XIX of 1868)2 with regard to the limitation of suits under that Act.
under settlement].— Rep. by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1891 (12 of 1891).
[Recognized agents.]—Rep., ibid.
Rules for taking evidence.—3Section 172 of Act No. 8 of 1859 is hereby repealed, so far as
the province of Oudh is concerned, and the following section is substituted therefore:—
“On the day appointed for the hearing of the suit, or on some other day to which the hearing may be adjourned, the evidence of the witnesses in attendance shall be taken orally in open Court in the presence and hearing and under the personal direction and superintendence of the Judge.
“A note of the essential points of the evidence of each witness is to be taken at the time, and in the course of oral examination, by the officer who tries the case, in his own language, or in English if-he is sufficiently acquainted with that language, and such note shall be filed, and shall form part of the record of the case.
“If the evidence be taken down in a different language from that in which it has been given, and the witness does not understand the language in which it is taken down, the witness may require his deposition as taken down to be interpreted to him in the language in which it was given.
“It shall be in the discretion of the Court to take down, or cause to be taken down, any particular question and answer, if there appear any special reason for so doing, or any party or his pleader requires it.
“If any question put to a witness be objected to by either of the parties or their pleaders, and the Court allow the same to be put, the question and the answer shall be taken down, and the objection and the name of the party making it shall be noticed in taking down the depositions, together with the decision of the Court upon the objection.
“The Court shall record such remarks as it may think material respecting the demeanour of the
witness while under examination.
4[“The note as above required may be written and signed by the Judge with his own hand or typed to his dictation in open Court and signed by him within his own hand, and such note shall form part of the record.”]
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1[20. Execution-sale of ancestral and acquired property in land.—So much of section 60 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, (5 of 1908) as renders land liable to sale in execution of a decree shall be subject to the following restriction:—No ancestral land shall be sold in satisfaction of a decree without the permission of the State Government.
Explanation.—In this section the words “ancestral land” mean—
(a) land forming a mahal or share in or portion of a mahal, which has been owned continuously from the conclusion of the first regular settlement by the proprietor, which term shall include an under-proprietor as defined section 4, clause (15), of the United Provinces Land revenue Act, 1901, (U.P. Act 3 of 1901) or by the person or persons from whom such proprietor has directly or indirectly inherited such land;
(b) land forming an estate or part of an estate as defined in the Oudh Estates Act, 1869 (1 of
1869);
(c) land conferred by the British Government as a reward for services rendered to the State on the owner or on a person from whom such owner has directly or in directly inherited such land; or
(d) the interest of the holder of a grant of land revenue conferred by the British or any former Government on him or on a person from whom he has directly or indirectly inherited such interest.]
1879).
Service of process within jurisdiction of Lucknow Civil Court.— Notwithstanding anything contained in the said Code, any Civil Court sitting within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Lucknow Civil Court, but exercising jurisdiction beyond such limits, may cause summonses, warrants, notices and other processes to be served within the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Lucknow Civil Court without causing the same processes to be served through such Court.
[Section substituted for Act 19 of 1868, s. 109.]— Rep. by the Oudh Rent Act, 1886 (22 of 1886).
[Section substituted for Act 19 of 1868, s. 118.]— Rep., ibid.
[Right of occupancy in judgment-debtor's sir-land.]—Rep. by the Oudh Rent Act, 1886,
Amendment Act, 1901 (U.P. 4 of 1901).
Revenue agents authorized to appear, etc., in rent suits.— Notwithstanding anything contained in Act No. XX of 18652 , all persons duly admitted and enrolled as Revenue-agents under that Act in 3* * * Oudh may appear, plead and act in suits under the Oudh Rent Act4 (19 of 1868) in the Courts of officers exercising the powers of Assistant Collectors, Deputy Collectors, Collectors and Commissioners under the same Act.
Subs. by U.P. Act 3 of 1912, s. 2, for the original section.
See now the Legal Practitioners Act, 1879 (18 of 1879).
The words “the territories for the time being under the administration of the Chief Commissioner of” rep. by the A.O.
See now the U.P. Tenancy Act, 1939 (U.P. 17 of 1939).
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27. Power to make rules for custody and sale of attached property.—With the sanction of the State Government, the 1[High Court] may from time to time make rules consistent with this Act and with the Code of Civil Procedure2.—
(a) for the custody and sale of movable property attached in execution of decrees;
(b) for the levy of a fee or commission on the sale of attached property and the disposal of the
funds accruing from such fees;
(c) as to the appointment and remuneration of persons 3[(not being persons in the service of the
Government)] by whom property is to be attached, kept in custody and sold;
(d) as to the appointment and remuneration of persons 3[(not being persons in the service of the Government)] by whom local investigations under section 180, and investigations and adjustments of accounts under section 181, of the Code of Civil Procedure4 are to be made.
Act, 1879 (13 of 1879).
CHAPTER IV
VILLAGE AND ROAD-POLICE
Right to nominate village policemen.—The nomination to the post of village-policeman shall be made by the zamindar of the village, or, where there are more zamindars than one, by the lambardar as their representative; and, where there poll are more lambardars than one, the opinion of the majority (unless there is some special provision to the contrary in the village administration-paper) shall prevail.
Obligation to nominate.—Every person authorized to nominate to the office of
village-policeman shall, within fifteen days after the occurrence of a vacancy in such office, nominate a proper person to the vacant post, and communicate the nomination to the Magistrate of the district.
into his age, character and ability, be appointed or rejected by the State Government.
the State Government shall appoint such person as it thinks fit to the vacancy.
Procedure in case of rejection of nominee.—If the nomination has been made within the said fifteen days, but the nominee is rejected, the person authorized to nominate shall, within fifteen days from the date of such rejection, nominate another person to the vacant post; and in default of such nomination, or if such nomination has been made but the nominee is again rejected, the State Government shall appoint such person as it thinks fit to the vacancy.
Appointment of road police.—Subject to the rules to be framed under section 39 and for the time being in force, the State Government may from time to time appoint persons to be 5[road police].
Duties of village and road policemen.—Every village-policeman and every road-policeman
shall perform the following duties: —
(a) he shall give immediate intermission to the officer in charge of the police-station appointed
for his village or beat—
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(1) of every unnatural, suspicious or sudden death occurring in the village of which he is
chaukidar, or within his beat;
(2) of each of the following offences occurring in such village or on such beat (that is to
say), murder, culpable homicide, rape, dacoity, theft, robbery, mischief by fire, house-breaking,
counterfeiting coin, causing grievous hurt, riot, harbouring a proclaimed offender, exposure of
a child, concealment of birth, administering stupefying drugs, kidnapping, lurking house-
trespass; and
(3) of all attempts and preparations to commit, and abetments of, any of the said
offences:
(b) he shall keep the police informed of all disputes which are likely to lead to any riot or serious
affray:
(c) he shall arrest all proclaimed offenders, and all persons whom he may find in the act of
committing any offence specified in paragraph (a), clause (2), of this section:
(d) he shall observe and from time to time report to the officer in charge of the police-
station within the jurisdiction of which his village or beat may be situate, the movements of all bad characters in or on such village or beat:
(e) he shall report to the officer in charge of such police-station the arrival of suspicious
characters in the neighbourhood:
(f) he shall supply to the best of his ability any local intermission which a Magistrate or any officer of police may require, and shall promptly execute all orders issued to him: by competent authority.
road-policeman arrests any person, he shall take him as soon as possible to the police-station within the jurisdiction of which his village or beat is situated.
village-police man or road-policeman for any misconduct or neglect of duty.
Where any village-policeman is guilty of neglect of duty or other misconduct, the person authorized to nominate to his office may report him for dismissal to the Magistrate of the district; and such Magistrate shall dismiss him accordingly, unless the Magistrate has reason to think that such dismissal would be improper.
or withdrawing from the duties of his office without permission and without having given at least two months notice of his intention withdraw from such duties to the persons authorized to nominate appoint under sections 29, 32 and 33 (as the case may be),
or offering any unnecessary personal violence to any person in his custody,
Penalty. shall be liable, on conviction before a Magistrate, to a penalty not exceeding three months’
pay, or to imprisonment for a period to exceeding three months, or to both.
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CHAPTER V
SUBSIDIARY RULES
consistent with this Act as to—
(a) the discipline and remuneration of the village and road police and the regulation of their
number, location anti duties;
(b) the disposal of unclaimed property under Act No. 5 of 1861 (for the regulation of police),
sections 25, 26 and 27;
(c) public health and conservancy at fairs and other large public assemblies, and the
maintenance of a proper watch and ward at such fairs and assemblies;
(d) imposing 2* * * taxes for those purposes only;
3[(e) the keeping and custody of civil, criminal and revenue records.]
4*
*
Publication of rules.— All rules made by the State Government under section 39, and all rules made by the 5[High Court] under section 27, shall be published in the Official Gazette, and shall thereupon have the force of law.
[Continuance of prior rules as to matters for which rules may be made under the Act.]— Rep.
by the Repealing and Amending Act, 1891 (12 of 1891).
CHAPTER VI
MISCELLANEOUS
Honorary civil jurisdiction
(13 of 1879.)
Honorary police-officer
Creation and alteration of districts and sub-divisions
Provinces Act, 1890 (20 of 1890), s. 35.
Amendment Act, 1901 (U.P. 4 of 1901). The proviso was omitted by the A.O. 1937.
11
THE FIRST SCHEDULE. — Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1938 (1 of 1938), s. 2 and Sch.
12
THE SECOND SCHEDULE (See section 3) PART 1.— BENGAL REGULATIONS
Subject
Modifications
Number and year XXIII of 1803
Embezzlement by Native
Officers.
3X of 1804
Punishment by Courts- martial of certain State offences.
XI of 1806
Assistance
troops and travellers passing through districts.
to
In section 1 and in section 2, clause First, before “sezawals,” insert tahsildars”. In section 2, after the first clause, insert
“Second.—The responsibility of the sureties of tahsildars extends to the several cases provided for in this Regulation.”
In section 3, for “Dewanny Adawlut of
the Zillah, the Judge of which Court shall
detain him,” read “ District where he shall
be detained;” for “ real or personal,” read “
movable or immovable;” 1* * * and omit the
words and figures “and
in
Regulation XXVIII, 1803, regarding suits so
carried on by the Collectors are to be held
applicable to it.” 2 * * *
Omit section 8.
Omit section 1.
the rules
In section 2, for “the British territories subject to the Government of the Presidency of Fort William” read “the territories under the Chief Commissioner of Oudh”.
administration
the
of
In section 3, for “real and personal
“read “movable or immovable”.
Omit sections 1, 7, 9 to 20 (both inclusive), and so much of the rest of the Regulation as authorizes Collectors and their Native officers, or Magistrates and their police-officers, to give their Official aid in procuring coolies for the purpose of facilitating the march of troops or the progress of travellers.
For “Collectors of Revenue” and “Collector” read “Deputy Commissioner” throughout the Regulation.
In sections 2 and 3, for “the Company's
territories” read “Oudh”.
In section 2, omit the last sentence. In section 4, clause Third, for “Central
Government” read “ State Government”
In section 5, omit “the Companys;” 4* * *
In section 6, for “Magistrate” read
“Deputy Commissioner,” and for “on the
part of the Collector” read “by the Deputy
Commissioner”.
Commissioner’ ” were rep. by Act 20 of 1890, s. 35.
13
Number and year
Subject
Modifications
2 * * *
3 III of 1818
* * *
State Prisoners
In section 8, for “the Company’s
provinces” read “Oudh” 1 * * *. .
In section 1, omit “situated within the territories dependent on the Presidency of Fort William,” and from “which are to take effect “to the end of the section. In section 2, clause Third, omit “within the territories subject to the Presidency of Fort William”.
In section 4, omit clause First. In the same section, clause Second, for “Zillah or City Magistrate” read “Deputy Commissioner,” “Judge of Circuit” read “Commissioner of Division”.
and
for
In section 9, for “to the Provincial Court of Appeal and Circuit and to the Sudder Dewanny Adawlut and Nizamut Adawlut” read “and to the Judicial Commissioner”. Omit section 10.
Omit the whole except section 38.
4* * *
XI of 1822 .
Non-liability of Government for errors of a Court of Justice.
VI of 1825 . Supply of troops on the march.
In the preamble, omit the last twenty
words.
In section 2, omit “in pursuance of section III, Regulation XI, 1806,” and omit “sicca”.
In section 4, for “Board of Revenue in whose jurisdiction the district may be situate” and “Board” read “Commissioner”. In section 5, omit “on the stamped paper prescribed for other appeals to the Revenue Boards” and for “the proper Board” and “the Board” read “the Commissioner”.
Regulation 27 of 1803” were rep. by Act 12 of 1891.
6 of 1878, respectively.
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Number and year XI of 1825
Subject
Alluvion and Diluvion
1* * *
* * *
Modifications
Omit section 1. In section 3, omit “either” and “or
the sea”.
In section 4, clause First, Omit
“whether” and “or of the sea,” and for
“ the provisions of Regulation II, 1819,
or of any other Regulation in force,”
read “any law in force for the time
being;” clause Third, omit “or in the
sea” and “or sea;” clause Fifth, omit
“or the sea”.
In section 5, for “Zillah and City
Magistrates” read “Deputy Commissioners”.
* * *
PART II.- ACTS OF THE GOVERNOR GENERAL IN COUNCIL
2* * * 3XX of 1856 .
* * *
* * *
Chaukidars . .
In the preamble, after “Bengal” add
the
“and administration Commissioner of Oudh”.
territories of
under
the
the Chief
XIII of 1857 .
. . . Opium
5* * * 6XXII of 1871.
Chaukidars . .
Omit “wherever “Commissioner”.
the words they
Omit section 40.
“of occur
circuit”
after
In the title, after “the Presidency of
Fort William in Bengal,” read “and the
territories under the administration of
the Chief Commissioner of Oudh”.
4***
In
section
3,
omit
“being
covenanted servants of the Company.
* * *
In section 1, after “Presidency”
insert “or territories”.
In section 3, omit the words “of
circuit”.
Omit section 6.
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