Cr.P.C Section 22A

Powers of Justices of the Peace

(1) A Justice of the Peace for any local area shall, for the purpose of making an arrest, have within such area all the powers of a police officer referred to in section 54 and of an officer in charge of a police station referred to in section 55.

(2) A Justice of the Peace making an arrest in exercise of any powers under subsection (1) shall, forthwith, take or cause to be taken the person arrested before the officer in charge of the nearest police station and furnish such officer with a report as to the circumstances of the arrest, and such officer shall thereupon rearrest the person.

(3) A Justice of the Peace for any local area shall have powers, within such area, to call upon any member of the police force on duty to aid him—

• (a) in taking or preventing the escape of any person who has participated in the commission of any cognizable offence or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having so participated; and
• (b) in the prevention of crime in general and, in particular, in the prevention of a breach of the peace or a disturbance of the public tranquillity.

(4) Where a member of the police force on duty has been called upon to render aid under subsection (3), such call shall be deemed to have been made by a competent authority.

(5) A Justice of the Peace for any local area may, in accordance with such rules as may be made by the Provincial Government—

• (a) issue a certificate as to the identity of any person residing within such area, or
• (b) verify any document brought before him by any such person, or
• (c) attest any such document required by or under any law for the time being in force to be attested by a Magistrate,

and until the contrary is proved, any certificate so issued shall be presumed to be correct and any document so verified shall be deemed to be duly verified, and any document so attested shall be deemed to have been as fully attested as if he had been a Magistrate.

(6) An ex officio Justice of the Peace may issue appropriate directions to the police authorities concerned on a complaint regarding—

• (i) non-registration of a criminal case;
• (ii) transfer of investigation from one police officer to another; and
• (iii) neglect, failure or excess committed by a police authority in relation to its functions and duties.