MANUAL OF THE NILAQIRI DISTRICT. 373 



CHAPTER XVI. 

 CRIMINAL AND CIVIL JUSTICE AND REGISTRATION. 



Constitution by Act I of 1868.— Sessions Judge and Magistrates— jurisdiction. 

 — Benches of Magistrates— statement of operations.— Civil Courts— statement of 

 operations.— Village Munsifs— appeals to the High Court.— Cost of Law and 

 Justice. — Registration — operations. 



In a previous chapter I have traced briefly the arrangements cHAP. XVI. 

 which existed on the plateau for the administration of justice q^^^^^^ ^j.^ 

 generally^ as well as of revenue, until the present constitution of Civil 

 the district was elaborated and then fixed by Act I of 1868 Justice^&c. 

 (Madras) . 



By this Act the chief criminal and civil powers are vested Constitution 

 in the Commissioner of the district, whilst the chief magisterial ^^^8. 

 power is entrusted to the Assistant Commissioner, the latter 

 officer being aided in the magisterial administration by two Joint 

 Magistrates, viz., the Joint Magistrate of Ootacamand and the Criminal 

 Joint Magistrate of Wellington and Coonoor, the Sub-Magis- Jj^fl^^J.^^;'^ 

 trates stationed at Coonoor and in the South-East Wainad, jurisdiction, 

 and three benches of Honorary or Special Magistrates at Ootaca- 

 mand, Kotagiri and Gudalur. A bench was created in Coonoor, 

 but it ceased to exist at the end of 1876. The appointments of 

 Joint and Sub-Magistrates are not specially referred to in 

 Act I of 1868, but this Act provides that Government may invest 

 any one residing on the Hills with any or all powers of a 

 Magistrate. 



The Commissioner, in his capacity of Sessions Judge, holds 

 a sessions ordinarily once a month at Ootacamand. The system 

 of trial by jury has not yet been introduced, that of assessors 

 still prevailing. The Assistant Commissioner, as Magistrate of 

 the district, has no special territorial charge, but he directly 

 supervises the work of the Sab-Magistrates of Coonoor and 

 of the South-East Wainad, disposes of criminal appeals from 

 these functionaries, and frequently presides at the sessions of the 

 benches at Kotagiri and in South-East Waindd. The Joint 

 Magistrate of Ootacamand exercises the full powers of a Magis- 

 trate, and is also President of the Ootacamand bench of Magis- 



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