Societies Act · 2010 Revised Edition · Part VII · Enforcement
32. Power of entry and search
Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged
The Registrar, an Assistant Registrar or any police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent may without warrant, enter into and search any place and inspect and examine any equipment, materials, records and any other thing to ensure that any requirements of, and to ascertain whether the provisions of, this Act or any regulations made thereunder are complied with.
Registrar
“Registrar” means the Registrar of Societies appointed under section 3(1) and includes any Deputy Registrar;
The Registrar, an Assistant Registrar or any police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent entering into such a place as referred to in subsection (1) may seize and detain any article found therein which he has reason to believe may be required in respect of any proceedings under this Act.
Assistant Registrar
“Assistant Registrar” means a person appointed as such under section 3(2);
The Registrar, an Assistant Registrar or any police officer not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent may without warrant, with or without assistance and using reasonable force if necessary —
enter 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 article belonging to an unlawful society is concealed, kept or deposited;
arrest or cause to be arrested all persons found in any such place and search that place; and
seize or cause to be seized any article which he has reasonable cause to believe to belong to an unlawful society or to be in any way connected therewith.
All persons arrested and all articles seized, under subsection (2), may be detained in custody and brought before a court to be dealt with according to law.
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Terms defined in s 2
Assistant Registrar
Defined · s 2“Assistant Registrar” means a person appointed as such under section 3(2);
Registrar
Defined · s 2“Registrar” means the Registrar of Societies appointed under section 3(1) and includes any Deputy Registrar;
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.