Societies Act · 2010 Revised Edition · Part VI · Unlawful Societies
31. Power of Minister to declare society unlawful
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette, declare unlawful any society or branch thereof or any class or description of any society, whether such society is established in Brunei Darussalam or not, which in his opinion —
is being used or is likely to be used for any unlawful purposes or purposes prejudicial to or incompatible with the peace, public order, security or public interest of Brunei Darussalam; or
is being used for purposes at variance with its professed objects.
An order under subsection (1) shall operate to cancel the registration of any such society with effect from the date of such order.
society
“society” includes any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons whatever its nature or object, whether temporary or permanent, but does not include — (a) any company incorporated or registered under the Companies Act; (b) any body corporate incorporated or constituted under any written law; (c) any trade union registered or required to be registered under the Trade Unions Act; (d) any company, association or partnership formed for the sole purpose of carrying on any business that has for its object the acquisition of gain by the company, association, partnership or by the individual members thereof; (e) any co-operative society registered under the Co-operative Societies Act; (f) any organisation or association that forms part of the curriculum of a school; (g) any school, management committee of a school, parents’ association or parent-teachers’ association registered or exempted from registration under any written law; (h) any organisation or association formed by any Government department or ministry whose members wholly consist of public servants. Appointment of Registrar, Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars.
Any society which has been declared to be unlawful under subsection (1) and whose governing body has not lodged an appeal under subsection (4) on the expiration of 7 days from the time of such declaration, or if an appeal has been lodged and the appeal has failed from the time such declaration is confirmed by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, shall ipso facto be dissolved.
The governing body of a society which has been declared to be unlawful under subsection (1) may within 7 days of the date of publication of such order appeal to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan who may, at his discretion, confirm or reverse the Minister’s decision.
The decision of His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan under subsection (4) shall be final and not subject to appeal to any court.
Societies 32
Terms defined in s 2
society
Defined · s 2“society” includes any club, company, partnership or association of 10 or more persons whatever its nature or object, whether temporary or permanent, but does not include — (a) any company incorporated or registered under the Companies Act; (b) any body corporate incorporated or constituted under any written law; (c) any trade union registered or required to be registered under the Trade Unions Act; (d) any company, association or partnership formed for the sole purpose of carrying on any business that has for its object the acquisition of gain by the company, association, partnership or by the individual members thereof; (e) any co-operative society registered under the Co-operative Societies Act; (f) any organisation or association that forms part of the curriculum of a school; (g) any school, management committee of a school, parents’ association or parent-teachers’ association registered or exempted from registration under any written law; (h) any organisation or association formed by any Government department or ministry whose members wholly consist of public servants. Appointment of Registrar, Deputy Registrars and Assistant Registrars.
Part VII
Enforcement
Part VIII
Offences
Part IX