Chapter VII PROVISIONS WITH RESPECT TO PENALTIES

If any person disobeys any rule or order which a [Government] has made in pursuance of this Act and for the punishment of disobedience to which express provision has not been made elsewhere in this Act, he shall be punishable for every such offence with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees.

All offences against this Act shall be triable by a Magistrate, and any Magistrate may, by warrant under his hand, cause the amount of any fine imposed upon the owner or master of any vessel, for any offence committed on board of the vessel or in the management thereof or otherwise in relation thereto, whereof the owner or master is convicted. to be levied by distress and sale of the vessel, and the tackle apparel and furniture thereof, or so much thereof as is necessary.

(1) In case of any conviction under this Act, the convicting Magistrate may order the offender to pay the costs of the conviction in addition to any fine or expenses to which he may be liable. (2) Such costs may be assessed by the Magistrate and may be recovered in the same manner as any fine under this Act.

(1) If any dispute arises as to the sum to be paid in any case as expenses or damages under this Act, it shall be determined by a Magistrate upon application made to him for that purpose by either of the disputing parties. (2) Whenever any person is liable to pay any sum, not exceeding one thousand rupees, as expenses or damages under this Act, any Magistrate, upon application made to him by the authority to whom the sum is payable, may, in addition to or instead of any other means for enforcing payment, recover the sum as if it were a fine.

Whenever any fine,, expenses or damages is or are levied under this Act, by distress and sale, the cost of the distress and sale may be levied in addition to such fine. Expenses or damages, and in the same manner.

If any dispute arises concerning the amount leviable by any distress or arrest under this Act or the costs payable under the last foregoing section, the person making the distress or using the arrest may detain the goods distrained or arrested, or the proceeds of the sale thereof, until the amount to be levied has been determined by a Magistrate, who, upon application made to him for that purpose, may determine the amount, and award such costs to be paid by either of the parties to the other of them as he thinks reasonable and payment of such costs, if not paid on demand, shall be enforced as if they were a fine.

(1) Any person offending against the provisions of this Act in any port subject to this Act shall be punishable by any Magistrate having jurisdiction over any district or place adjoining the port. (2) Such Magistrate may exercise all the powers of a Magistrate under this Act, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the offence had been committed locally within the limits of his jurisdiction, notwithstanding that the offence may not have been committed locally within such limits, and, in case any such Magistrate exercises the jurisdiction hereby vested in him, the offence shall be deemed, for all purposes, to have been committed locally within the limits of his jurisdiction.

(1) No conviction, order or judgement of any Magistrate under this Act shall be quashed for error of form or procedure, but only on the merits, and it shall not be necessary to state, on the face of the conviction, order or judgement, the evidence on which it proceeds. (2) If no jurisdiction appears on the face of the conviction, order or judgement, but the depositions taken supply that defect, the conviction, order or judgement shall be aided by what so appears in the depositions.