CO537-4835 — Page 91

Power of Registrar

etc., to enter

place kept as place of meeting.

Power of entry by Registrar, etc., in

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17. The Registrar or an Assistant Registrar may at any time enter into any place which he has reason to believe is kept or used by any registered society or any of its members as a place of meeting or place of business.

18. The Registrar or an Assistant Registrar who has reason to believe that any registered society or any exempted society is being used for purposes prejudicial to public special cases. peace or welfare or to good order in the Colony, may enter with or without assistance and using force for that purpose, if necessary, into any place which he has reason to believe is used as the place of meeting or place of business of such society, and may search such place and any person found therein or escaping therefrom for evidence that such society is being used for such purpose as aforesaid.

Powers of entry and search.

Powers of Registrar to

summon witnesses.

19. (1) Any police officer of or above the rank of inspector may, with or without assistance, using force, if necessary, enter into any dwelling-house or other building, or into any place in which he has reason to believe that a meeting of any unlawful society, or of persons who are members of an unlawful society, is being held, or that any books, accounts, writings, lists of mem- bers, banners, seals, insignia, arms or other articles belonging to any unlawful society are concealed, kept or deposited, and to arrest or cause to be arrested all persons found in such house and to search such house, building or place, and seize or cause to be seized all books, accounts, writings, banners, lists of members, seals, insignia, arms and other articles which he has reasonable cause to believe to belong to any unlawful society or to be in any way connected therewith.

(2) All persons so arrested and all articles so seized may be detained in custody and brought before a Magistrate to be dealt with according to law.

20. (1) The Registrar or an Assistant Registrar may summon before him any person who he has reason to believe to be able to give any information as to the existence or operations of any unlawful society, or suspected unlawful society, or as to the operations of any registered society or exempted society.

(2) The person so summoned shall attend at the hour and place in the summons specified, and produce all documents in his custody, possession or power relating to such society or suspected society, and answer truthfully all questions which the Registrar or an Assistant Registrar puts to him.

(3) The Registrar and every Assistant Registrar may administer oaths to and examine on oath any person summoned before him under this section.

(4) If any person summoned by the Registrar or an Assistant Registrar under this section refuses to give such information, or gives information which the Registrar or Assistant Registrar believes to be false or which appears to implicate him in an offence under this Qrdinance, the Registrar or Assistant