[11th March, 1897.] An Act to consolidate and extend the General Clauses Act, 1868 and 1887.
Whereas it is expedient to consolidate and extend the General Clauses Acts, 1868 (1 of 1868) and
1887 (1 of 1887); it is hereby enacted as follows:—
Section(1) : This Act may be called the General Clauses Act, 1897.
objectives
- The General Clauses Act is applies to all branches of law.
- It contain provisions as to the construction of General Clauses Acts and other laws applied in India.
- The definition contained in the Act apply only where the context does not otherwise required.
- Shorten the language of the central acts.
- To provide uniformity of expression in central acts by definitions of series of terms in common use.
- State explicitly certain convenient rules for the construction and interpretation of central acts.
- To guard against slips and oversights by importing into every act certain common form clauses which otherwise ought to be inserted expressly in every central act.
SECTIONS 1. Short title.
Section 2. [Repealed.].
GENERAL DEFINITIONS
Section 3. Definitions.
Section 4. Application of foregoing definitions to previous enactments.
Section 4A. Application of certain definitions to Indian Laws.
Section 5. Coming into operation of enactments. 5A. [Repealed.].
Section 6. Effect of repeal.
Section 6A. Repeal of Act making textual amendment in Act or Regulation.
Section 7. Revival of repealed enactments.
Section 8. Construction of references to repealed enactments.
Section 9. Commencement and termination of time.
Section 10. Computation of time.
Section 11. Measurement of distances.
Section 12. Duty to be taken pro rata in enactments.
Section 13. Gender and number.
Section 13A. [Repealed.].
Section 14. Powers conferred to be exercisable from time to time.
Section 15. Power to appoint to include power to appoint ex officio.
Section 16. Power to appoint to include power to suspend or dismiss.
Section 17. Substitution of functionaries.
Section 18. Successors.
Section 19. Official chiefs and subordinates.
Section 20. Construction of orders, etc., issued under enactments.
Section 21. Power to issue, to include power to add to, amend, vary or rescind notifications, orders, rules or bye-laws.
Section 22. Making of rules or bye-laws and issuing of orders between passing and commencement of enactment
Section 23. Provisions applicable to making of rules or bye-laws after previous publication.
Section 24. Continuation of orders, etc., issued under enactments repealed and re-enacted.
Section 25. Recovery of fines.
Section 26. Provision as to offences punishable under two or more enactments.
Section 27. Meaning of service by post.
Section 28. Citation of enactments.
Section 29. Saving for previous enactments, rules and bye-laws.
Section 30. Application of Act to Ordinances.
Section 5 to 13 deals with GENERAL RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.
These sections divided into two sections:
Commencement a d repeal of enactments. (it is more important in terms of quality and deals with life of enactment)
Provides rules of construction. (it deals with certain matters such as time, distance ,rate of duty, gender and number and the like.
It does not contained any detailed provisions relating to use in interpretation of marginal notes, headings, punctuations and the like.
Section 14-19 deals with power and functionaries.
Construction of notifications, etc. issued under enactments.
Power to issue, to include power to add to, amend, vary or rescind notifications, orders, rules, or bye-laws.
Making of rules or bye-laws and issuing of orders between passing and commencement of enactment.
Provisions applicable to making of rules or bye-laws after previous publication.
