Newspapers Registration (CAP. 291 1

CHAPTER 291

THE NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION ACT

Arrangement of Sections
Section

1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. No paper to be published before declaration filed in

Registrar's Office.
4. Any person editing, printing or publishing newspaper

before dec!aration made and signed liable to a fine
of $1,500 per day.

5. Declaration to be filed in Registrar's Office.
6. Book to be kept containing the registration required by

this Act which shall be open for inspection on pay-
ment of 24cts. fee.

7. Printer to deliver to Registrar a copy of every newspaper.
8. Imprint to be at the end of every newspaper, &c.
9. Recovery and application of penalties.

10. No fees payable on making declaration.
11. Non-application.

SCHEDULE.

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Newspapers Registration (CAP. 291 3

NEWSPAPERS REGISTRATION

211883.
Ord. 1711899.

(6th March, 1883.) Fed. A C ~ .
1011916.
811971.
911975.
1311976.

1. This Act may be cited as the Newspapers Registra- short title.
tion Act.

2. In this Act the word "newspaper" shall have the Interpretation.
same meaning as defined in section 2 of the Newspaper
Surety Act. Cap. 292.

3. (1) No person shall edit, print or publish or cause Eke to be printed or published, any newspaper before there shall declarat;,, filed
be delivered to the Registrar of the High Court at his office in Registrar's

Office. in St. John's a declaration in writing in the form of the (0,d. 1711899)
declaration set forth in the Schedule, containing the correct Schedule.
title of the newspaper to which the same shall relate, and
the true description of the house or building wherein such
newspaper is intended to be printed, and also of the house
or building where such newspaper is intended to be published
by or for or on behalf of the proprietor thereof, the true name,
place of abode and occupation of the editor, and also the
true name, occupation, and place of abode of every person
who is intended to be the printer or to conduct such
newspaper, and of every person who is intended to be the
publisher thereof, and of every person who shall be a pro-
prietor or joint proprietor of such newspaper who shall be
resident out of Antigua and Barbuda, and also of every per-
son resident in Antigua and Barbuda who shall be a pro-
prietor or joint proprietor of the same.

(2) Every such declaration shall be made and signed
by every person named therein as editor, printer or publisher
of the newspaper to which such declaration shall relate, and
by such of the said persons named therein as proprietors
as shall be resident within Antigua and Barbuda, and a
declaration of the like import shall be made, signed and
delivered in like manner whenever and so often as any share,
interest or property soever in any newspaper named in any

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4 CAP. 291) Newspapers Registration

such declaration shall be assigned, transferred, divided, or
changed by act of the parties or by operation of law, and
also whenever and so often as any editor, printer, publisher
or proprietor, named in any such declaration shall be changed
or shall change his place of abode, and also whenever and
so often as the title of any such newspaper or the printing
office or the place of publication thereof, shall be changed,
and also whenever in any case or on any occasion or for
any purpose the said Registrar shall require such declara-
tion to be made, signed and delivered, and shall cause notice
in writing for that purpose to be served upon any person
or to be left or posted at any place mentioned in the last
preceding declaration delivered as aforesaid as being a
printer, publisher, editor or proprietor of such newspaper,
or as being the place of printing or publishing such newspaper
respectively.

(3) Every such declaration shall be made before the said
Registrar, and such Registrar is hereby authorised to take
and receive such declaration as aforesaid.

(4) If any person shall knowingly and wilfully sign and
make any such declaration in which shall be inserted or set
forth the name, occupation or place of abode of any person
as a proprietor, editor, publisher or printer of any newspaper
to which such declaration shall relate who shall not be a pro-
prietor, editor, publisher or printer thereof, or from which
shall be omitted the name, occupation or place of abode of
any proprietor, editor, publisher or printer of such newspaper
contrary to the true meaning of this Act, or in which any
matter or thing by this Act required to be set forth shall be
set forth otherwise than according to the truth, or from which
any matter or thing required by this Act to be truly set forth
shall be omitted, every such offender shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanour and being convicted thereof shall be im-
prisoned for any period not exceeding twelve calendar
months.

Any person
editing, printing 4. If any person shall knowingly and wilfully edit,
or publishing print or publish, or shall cause to be printed or published,
newspaper before or either as a proprietor or otherwise sell or deliver any declaration made
and signed liable newspaper relating to which such declaration as aforesaid
to a fine Of containing such matters and things as are required by this
$1500 per day.

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Newspapers Registration (CAP. 291 5

Act to be therein contained shall not have been duly signed ~ ; ~ s i ? 8 / ~ 8 8 9 8 ~ ~
and made and delivered when and so often as by this Act
is required, every person in any such case offending shall
forfeit for every such act done the sum of fifteen hundred
dollars for every day on which such newspaper shall be
printed or published, sold or delivered before or until such
declaration shall be signed and made and delivered as by
this Act is directed.

5 . (1) All such declarations as aforesaid shall be filed :=";:it:
and kept in the office of the Registrar in Antigua and Barbuda Registrar's
for the safe custody thereof, and copies thereof certified by ~ ~ ~ i 7 , 1 8 9 9 .
the said Registrar to be true copies as by this Act is directed
shall respectively be admitted in all proceedings, civil and
criminal, touching any newspaper mentioned in any such
declaration or touching any publication, matter or thing,
contained in any such newspaper as conclusive evidence of
the truth of all such matters set forth in such declaration
as are herein required to be therein set forth and of their
continuance respectively in the same condition down to the
time in question against every person who shall have signed
such declaration unless it shall be proved that previous to
such time such person became a lunatic or that previous to
the publication in question on such trial such person did duly
sign and make a declaration that such person had ceased
to be a printer, publisher, editor, or proprietor of such
newspaper and did duly deliver the same to the said Registrar
or unless it shall be proved that previous to such occasion
as aforesaid a new declaration of the same or a similar nature
respectively was duly signed and made and delivered as
aforesaid respecting the same newspaper in which the per-
son sought to be affected in such trial did not join.

(2) The said Registrar by whom any such declaration
shall be kept according to the directions of this Act shall,
upon application in writing made to him by any person
requiring a copy certified according to this Act of any such
declaration as aforesaid, deliver such certified copy or cause
the same to be delivered to the person applying for the same
upon payment of the sum of twenty-four cents and no more.

(3) In all proceedings, civil or criminal, a copy of any
such declaration certified to be a true copy under the hand
of the said Registrar shall be received in evidence against

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6 CAP. 291) Newspapers Registration

any and every person named in such declaration as a per-
son making or signing the same as sufficient proof of such
declaration and that the same was duly signed and made
according to this Act and of the contents thereof, and every
such copy so produced and certified shall have the same effect
for the purposes of evidence against any and every such per-
son named therein as aforesaid to all intents whatsoever as
if the original declaration had been produced in evidence
and been proved to have been duly signed and made by the
person appearing by such copy to have signed and made
the same as aforesaid.

(4) Whenever a certified copy of any such declaration
shall have been produced in evidence as aforesaid and a
newspaper shall afterwards be produced in evidence intituled
in the same manner as the newspaper mentioned in such
declaration is intituled and wherein the name of the pro-
prietor, editor, printer and publisher and the place of prin-
ting shall be the same as the name of the proprietor, editor,
printer and publisher and the place of printing mentioned
in such declaration or shall purport to be the same whether
such title, name and place printed upon such newspaper shall
be set forth in the same form of words as is contained in
the said declaration or in any form of words varying
therefrom it shall not be necessary for the plaintiff, infor-
mant or prosecutor in any action, prosecution or other pro-
ceeding, to prove that the newspaper to which such action,
prosecution or other proceeding may relate was purchased
of the defendant or at any house, shop or office belonging
to or occupied by the defendant or by his servants or
workmen, or where he may usually carry on the business
of printing or publishing such newspaper or where the same
may be usually sold.

(5) If any person not being the said Registrar shall give
any certificate purporting to be such certificate as aforesaid,
or shall presume to certify any of the matters or things by
this Act directed to be certified by such Registrar or which
such Registrar is hereby empowered or entrusted to certify,
or if any such Registrar shall knowingly and wilfully falsely
certify under his hand that any such declaration as is required
to be made by this Act was duly signed and made before
him the same not having been so signed and made, or shall
knowingly and wilfully falsely certify that any copy of any

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Newspapers Registration (CAP. 291 7

declaration is a true copy of the declaration of which the
same is certified to be such copy the same not being such
true copy, such Registrar and every person so offending shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanour, and being convicted
thereof shall be imprisoned for any period of time not
exceeding twelve calendar months.

6. The said Registrar shall cause to be entered in a
book to be kept at his said office the title of every newspaper registration
registered at the said office and also the names of the editors, ~ ~ ~ ; ~ c , " Y , ~ , : f "
printers and publishers thereof as the same appear in the be open for
declarations required by this Act to be made relating to such ~ ~ ~ ~ $ " 0 ~
newspapers respectively; and all persons shall have free liberty 24cts. fee
to search and inspect the said book from time to time dur- Ord. 17'1899.
ing the hours of business at the said office on payment of
the fee of twenty-four cents.

7. (1) The printer or publisher of every newspaper ~ ' ; ; $ s ~ ; a ~ ~
printed or published in Antigua and Barbuda shall upon every copy of every
day on which such newspaper shall be published or on the ;)r;HP'7"/";gg.
day next following, which shall not be a holiday, between
the hours of ten and three on each day, deliver or cause to
be delivered to the Registrar at his said office one copy of
every such newspaper and of every second or other varied
edition or impression thereof so printed or published, with
the name and place of abode of the printer or publisher
thereof signed and written thereon after the same shall be
printed by his proper hand and in his accustomed manner
of signing or by some person appointed and authorised by
him for that purpose and of whose appointment and authority
notice in writing signed by such printer or publisher in the
presence of and attested by the said Registrar shall be given
to the said Registrar.

(2) The same copies shall be carefully kept by the said
Registrar in the office and all copies so delivered as aforesaid
shall be evidence against every printer, publisher, editor and
proprietor of every such newspaper respectively in all pro-
ceedings, civil or criminal, to be commenced and carried
on as well touching such newspaper as any matter or thing
therein contained and touching any other newspaper and
any matter or thing therein contained which shall be of the
same title, purport, or effect.

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8 CAP. 291) Newspapers Registration

Imprint to be at 8. (1) At the end of every newspaper and of any and
the end of every
news,,aoer. & c. every supplement, sheet, pamphlet or piece of printed paper

L . , - -
Ord. shall be printed the Christian name and the surname, occu-

pation and place of abode of the editor, printer and publisher
of the same, and also a true description of the house or
building wherein the same is actually printed and published
respectively, and the day of the week, month and year on
which the same is published.

(2) If any person shall knowingly and wilfully edit, print
or publish or cause to be printed or published any newspaper
or supplement thereto or any pamphlet or piece of printed
paper whereon the several particulars aforesaid shall not be
printed or whereon there shall be printed any false name,
occupation, place or day or whereon there shall be printed any
description of the place of printing or publishing such
newspaper which shall be different in any respect from the
description of the house or building mentioned in the declara-
tion required by this Act to be made relating to newpapers
as the house or building wherein a newspaper is intended
to be printed or published, every such person shall for any
and every such offence forfeit the sum of five hundred dollars.

(3) The provisions of this section shall only apply to
newspapers, supplements, sheets, pamphlets or pieces of
printed paper intended for publication.

Recovery and
application of

9. All pecuniary penalties under this Act may be sued
penalties. or prosecuted for and recovered for the use of Her Majesty

in the name of the Attorney-General by action of debt or
information in the High Court, and all pecuniary penalties
imposed by or incurred under this Act shall go and be ap-
plied to the use of Her Majesty and shall be deemed to be
and shall be accounted for as part of the revenue of Antigua
and Barbuda.

No fees payable
on making

10. No fee for the making of any declaration required
declaration. by this Act shall be payable.
Ord. 1711899.

NO^-application. 1 . This Act does not apply to any newspaper that
is published by-

(a) the pupils or staff of any scholastic
establishment,

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Newspapers Registration (CAP. 291 9

(6) a bona Jde religious organisation,

(c) a non-profit making voluntary organisation,

(d) a youth organisation, or
(e) a business or company for distribution to its

employees,
if the items of news, comment, or any other matter or thing
contained in such newspaper consists wholly or mainly of
matters concerning or principally of interest to such group.

SCHEDULE S. 3.

I, A.B. of Antigua and Barbuda, do hereby declare
that I am the proprietor (or where the person making the declara-

tion is not the proprietor) that
is the proprietor of the newspaper (here
insert the correct title) printed and published (or
intended to be published) by or on behalf of

(name proprietor) at
in Street, in the (city) of (St. John's)
in Antigua and Barbuda on the day of the week (insert
day of publication) and I also declare that

and
and are respectively the editor, printer
and publisher of the said newspaper, whose respective
residences are at in