Newspapers
NEWSPAPERS ACT
CHAPTER 20:01
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Act
4 of 1935
Amended by
2/1963
6 of 1993
3 of 1994
Current Authorised Pages
Pages Authorised
(inclusive) by L.R.O.
1–9 ..
L.R.O. UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
2 Chap. 20:01 Newspapers
Note on Subsidiary Legislation
This Chapter contains no subsidiary legislation.
Note on Adaptation
Certain fees in this Chapter were increased by the Commission under paragraph 4 of the Second
Schedule to the Law Revision Act. (Ch. 3:03). Where this occurs, a marginal reference in the
form normally indicating an amendment is made to LN 51/1980 (the Legal Notice by which
the President’s approval was signified).
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt
L.R.O.
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Newspapers Chap. 20:01 3
CHAPTER 20:01
NEWSPAPERS ACT
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Statutory declaration required before printing or publication.
4. Particulars of statutory declaration.
5. New statutory declaration when required.
6. Bond by proprietor, printer, and publisher of newspaper.
7. Release of surety.
8. Registrar General may call on surety to justify.
9. Bond null and void.
10. New bond.
11. Statutory declaration and bond by company.
12. Penalty for printing, publishing, selling or distributing newspaper in
contravention of the Act.
13. Particulars to be printed on newspaper.
14. Delivery of signed copies of newspapers and penalty.
15. Annual returns of particulars of newspapers.
16. Registration of titles of newspapers and names of proprietors, printers
and publishers.
17. Fees.
18. Making false or defective statutory declaration.
19. Service of process on proprietor, etc., of newspaper.
20. Recovery of penalties.
SCHEDULE.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
4 Chap. 20:01 Newspapers
CHAPTER 20:01
NEWSPAPERS ACT
An Act to make provision for the registration and control
of newspapers.
[2ND MAY 1935]
1. This Act may be cited as the Newspapers Act.
2. In this Act—
“company” means a company formed and registered under the
provisions of the Companies Act;
“newspaper” includes every paper or pamphlet containing any
public news, intelligence or report of any occurrence or any
remarks or observations thereon or upon any political matter,
published for sale, distribution or other purpose in parts or
numbers at intervals not exceeding one hundred days, but does
not include the Gazette or any paper, report, matter or thing
printed by the Government Printer or published by
Government authority, or programmes, notices or printed
matter containing only or principally bona fide advertisements;
“printer” includes any person who conducts the actual printing
of a newspaper;
“process” means all legal process whatsoever whether civil or
criminal and includes all notices under this Act and all
summonses, subpoenas, rules and orders of any Court;
“proprietor” includes as well the sole proprietor of any newspaper
as also in the case of a divided proprietorship the persons
who, as partners or otherwise represent and are responsible
for any share or interest in the newspaper as between
themselves and the persons in like manner representing or
responsible for the other shares or interests therein, and no
other person.
1950 Ed.
Ch. 3. No. 8.
4 of 1935.
Commencement.
Short title.
Interpretation.
Ch. 81:01.
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L.R.O.
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Newspapers Chap. 20:01 5
3. No person shall print or publish, or cause to be printed or
published, any newspaper unless there has been filed with and
registered at the office of the Registrar General a statutory
declaration, as hereinafter prescribed.
4. The statutory declaration shall be made and signed by every
person named therein as proprietor or printer, or publisher, of the
newspaper to which it relates and shall set forth—
(a) the correct title or name of the newspaper;
(b) the true description of the house or building
wherein the newspaper is intended to be printed,
and also of the house or building wherein it is
intended to be published; and
(c) the true names and places of abode of every
person who is intended to be the proprietor, printer
or publisher of the newspaper.
5. Whenever any proprietor, printer or publisher named in the
statutory declaration is changed or changes his place of abode, printing
house or office, and as often as the title of the newspaper is changed,
then and in every such case a new statutory declaration which shall
contain all the several matters and things required by section 4 shall
be made, filed and registered as hereinbefore prescribed.
6. No person shall print or publish or cause to be printed or
published any newspaper published at intervals not exceeding twenty-
six days unless and until the proprietor, printer and publisher thereof
have entered into and delivered to and registered with the Registrar
General, a bond to the State in the sum of one thousand dollars together
with one or more sureties, as may be required and approved by the
Registrar General. The conditions of the bond shall be that each
proprietor, printer and publisher shall pay to the State every penalty
which may at any time be imposed upon or adjudged against him or
them upon any conviction for printing or publishing any blasphemous
or seditious or other libel at any time after the execution of the bond,
and also any damages and costs on every judgment for the plaintiff in
any action for libel against such proprietor, printer or publisher and all
other penalties whatsoever which may be imposed upon or adjudged
by any Court against him or them under the provisions of this Act.
Statutory
declaration
required before
printing or
publication.
Particulars of
statutory
declaration.
New statutory
declaration
when required.
Bond by
proprietor,
printer, and
publisher of
newspaper.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
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LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
6 Chap. 20:01 Newspapers
7. (1) A surety shall be released from his bond upon giving
written notice to the proprietor, printer and publisher of the
newspaper to that effect and filing a copy of the notice with the
Registrar General. In such case the surety shall be released
from further liability upon the bond from and after the expiration
of twenty days from the date of the filing of a copy of the notice
as aforesaid.
(2) Notwithstanding any such release the surety shall
continue to be liable in respect of all penalties incurred by and all
damages and costs adjudged against any such proprietor, printer
or publisher in respect of any proceedings commenced within six
months of the date of the release for any blasphemous or seditious
or other libel printed or published, or for any offence under this
Act committed before the date of the release.
8. The Registrar General may at any time during the
continuance of a bond, call upon the surety or sureties thereof to
satisfy him as to means and for that purpose may require a statutory
declaration justifying such means. Upon failure of the surety or
sureties to satisfy him as aforesaid, the bond shall become null
and void and the Registrar General shall thereupon notify in writing
the parties to the bond to that effect.
9. Whenever any surety has paid the whole of the sum for
which he has become surety, or dies, or has been declared a
bankrupt or has executed any Deed of composition with his
creditors, or is released as provided for in section 7, or upon
notification or failure to satisfy the Registrar General as to means
as is hereinbefore provided, the bond in any such case shall
become null and void.
10. No person shall print or publish, or cause to be printed or
published, any newspaper the bond in respect of which has become
void until a new bond has been executed and registered in manner
and in the amount as provided above.
Release of
surety.
Registrar
General may
call on surety to
justify.
Bond null and
void.
New bond.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
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L.R.O.
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Newspapers Chap. 20:01 7
11. When a company is the proprietor, printer or publisher of
a newspaper, any statutory declaration required by this Act shall
be made and signed by the secretary or one of the directors of the
company, and the bond required by this Act shall be given and
executed by the company under its seal and by the surety or sureties
as the Registrar General may require and approve.
12. Any person who—
(a) prints or publishes or causes to be printed or
published any newspaper in contravention of
section 3, 6 or 10; or
(b) sells or distributes any newspaper which he knows
or has reason to believe has been printed or
published in contravention of any of the
aforementioned sections,
is liable to a fine of two thousand dollars.
13. (1) At the foot of the last page of every newspaper and
of every supplement issued therewith, shall be printed the first
name and surname, occupation and place of abode of its
proprietor, printer and publisher, and in the case of a company
its corporate name and also a true description of the house or
building wherein it is actually printed and published, respectively,
and at some place in the newspaper the day of the week, month
and year on which it is published.
(2) Any person who knowingly and wilfully prints or
publishes or causes to be printed or published, any newspaper or
supplement thereto, whereon the several particulars aforesaid are
not set forth, or are falsely set forth, is liable to a fine of one
thousand dollars.
14. (1) The printer or publisher of every newspaper in
Trinidad and Tobago shall, within six days after each publication
of the newspaper, deliver, or cause to be delivered, at the office of
the Registrar General one copy of that newspaper free of cost,
with the name and place of abode of the printer or publisher thereof
signed and written thereon by his proper hand and in his accustomed
Statutory
declaration and
bond by
company.
Penalty for
printing,
publishing,
selling or
distributing
newspaper in
contravention of
the Act.
Particulars to be
printed on
newspaper.
Delivery of
signed copies of
newspapers and
penalty.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
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LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
8 Chap. 20:01 Newspapers
manner of signing, or by some person appointed and authorised by
him for that purpose, of whose appointment and authority notice in
writing signed by the printer or publisher has been delivered at the
office of the Registrar General.
(2) Any printer or publisher of a newspaper who fails or
neglects to deliver or cause to be delivered, in the manner
hereinbefore directed, a copy signed as aforesaid is liable to a fine
of four hundred dollars for every such failure or neglect to deliver.
15. (1) The proprietor and publisher of every newspaper shall
file or cause to be filed in the month of January in every year with
the Registrar General a return of the following particulars:
(a) the title of the newspaper;
(b) the names of all the proprietors of the newspaper
with their respective occupations, places of
business, if any, places of abode; and
(c) the yearly circulation for the previous calendar
year ending on the 31st of December.
(2) Any proprietor and publisher failing to file such return
as aforesaid is liable to a fine of one thousand dollars.
16. The Registrar General shall cause to be entered in a book
kept for that purpose in his office, the title of every newspaper registered
at his office and also the names of the proprietors, printers and
publishers thereof, as they appear in the statutory declaration required
by this Act to be made relating to those newspapers respectively.
17. There shall be paid to the Registrar General the fees specified
in the Schedule in respect of the several matters therein specified.
18. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Perjury Act in
that behalf any person who knowingly and wilfully signs and makes
any statutory declaration required by this Act—
(a) in which there is inserted or set forth the name of
any person as a proprietor, printer or publisher of
any newspaper to which the statutory declaration
relates who is not the proprietor, printer or
publisher thereof;
Annual returns
of particulars of
newspapers.
Registration of
titles of
newspapers and
names of
proprietors,
printers and
publishers.
Fees.
Schedule.
Making false or
defective
statutory
declaration.
Ch. 11:14.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
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L.R.O.
LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Newspapers Chap. 20:01 9
(b) from which there is omitted the name or place
of abode of any proprietor, printer or publisher
of the newspaper, contrary to the provisions
of this Act;
(c) in which any matter or thing by this Act required
to be set forth is falsely set forth; or
(d) from which any matter or thing required by this
Act to be set forth is omitted,
is liable to a fine of two thousand dollars.
19. In any civil or criminal proceedings against any proprietor,
printer or publisher of any newspaper, service at the house or
building mentioned in any statutory declaration aforesaid as the
house or building at which that newspaper is printed, or published,
of any notice or other matter required or directed by this Act to be
given or left, or of any process whatsoever, shall be taken to be
good and sufficient service thereof respectively upon and against
every person named in the statutory declaration as the proprietor,
printer or publisher of that newspaper.
20. (1) All penalties under this Act may be recovered on
summary conviction on complaint laid by the Registrar General.
(2) All penalties recoverable under any bond given under
this Act shall be recovered by the Attorney General as State debts.
SCHEDULE
$ ¢
1. Filing a Statutory Declaration … … … 50.00
2. Registration of a Bond … … … … 100.00
3. For every search of Register … … … 20.00
4. For inspecting file of documents (other than newspaper
files) … … … … … 20.00
5. For filing any document (other than a newspaper not
otherwise provided for in this Schedule) … 20.00
6. Copy of any document per page or part thereof … 5.00
7. Any certificate of the Registrar … … … 20.00
Service of
process on
proprietor, etc.,
of newspaper.
Recovery of
penalties.
Section 17.
[2/1963
51/1980
6 of 1993
3 of 1994].
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UPDATED TO DECEMBER 31ST 2014
MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt
