Prevention of Crimes Act, 1871

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Convict holding license to notify residence to police.

5.[¹] Every holder of a license granted under the Penal Servitude Acts who is at large in Great Britain or Ireland shall notify the place of his residence to the chief officer of police of the district in which his residence is situated, and shall, whenever he changes such residence within the same police district notify such change to the chief officer of police of that district [² and whenever he is about to leave a police district he shall notify such his intention to the chief officer of police of that district, stating the place to which he is going, and also, if required, and, so far as is practicable, his address at that place and whenever he arrives in any police district he shall forthwith notify his place of residence to the chief officer of police of such last-mentioned district;] moreover, every male holder of such a license as aforesaid shall, once in each month, report himself at such time as may be prescribed by the chief officer of police of the district in which such holder may be, either to such chief officer himself or to such other person as that officer may direct, and such report may, according as such chief officer directs, be required to be made personally or by letter.

[² If any person to whom this section applies fails to comply with any of the requisitions of this section, he shall, in any such case, be guilty of an offence against this Act, unless he proves to the satisfaction of the court before whom he is tried, either that being on a journey he tarried no longer in the place, in respect of which he is charged with failing to notify his place of residence, than was reasonably necessary, or that otherwise he did his best to act in conformity with the law; and on conviction of such offence it shall be lawful for the court in its discretion either to forfeit his license, or to sentence him to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a term not exceeding one year.]

Register of Criminals.

[¹ Her Majesty may by order of a Secretary of State remit any of the requirements of this section either generally or in the case of any holder of a license, 54 & 55 Vict. c. 69. s. 4. This section is amended as to mode of notification and report, 42 & 43 Vict. c. 55. s. 2.]

[² Words in brackets substituted by 54 & 55 Vict. c. 69. s. 4.]