The Goa Dramatic Performances Act, 1969

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GOVERNMENT OF GOA 

Law and Judicial Department 

Notification 

LD/2/5/70 

The following Act passed by the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman 

and Diu which received the assent of the President of India on 8th March, 

1970 is hereby published for general information. 

M. S. Borkar, Under Secretary 

(Law). Panaji, 25th April, 1970. 

 

 

The Goa Dramatic Performances Act, 1969 

(Act No. 3 of 1970) 

 

An Act to provide for the better control of public dramatic performances in 

the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. 

 

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu in the 

Twentieth Year of the Republic of India as follows:- 

1. Short title, extent and commencement.— (1) This Act may be 

called the Goa Dramatic Performances Act, 1969. 

(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu. 

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Government may, by 

notification in the Official Gazette, appoint 

2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— 

(1) “High Court” means the Court of the Judicial Commissioner for the 

Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu; 

(2) “Government” means the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu; 

(3) “Objectionable performance” means any play, pantomime or other 

drama which is likely to – 

(i) incite any person to resort to violence or sabotage for the purpose of 

overthrowing or undermining the Government established by law in 

India or in any State or Union territory thereof or its authority in any 

area; or 

 

 



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(ii) incite any person to commit murder, sabotage or any offence involving 

violence; 

or 

(iii) seduce any member of any of the armed forces of the Union or of the 

police forces from his allegiance or his duty, or prejudice the recruiting 

of persons to serve in any such force or prejudice the discipline of any 

such force; or 

(iv) incite any section of the citizens of India to acts of violence 

against any other section of the citizens of India; or which — 

(v) is deliberately intended to outrage the religious feelings of any 

class of the citizens of India by insulting or blaspheming or profaning 

the religion or the religious beliefs of that class; or 

(vi) is grossly indecent, or is scurrilous or obscene or intended for blackmail ; 

Explanation I.— A performance shall not be deemed to be 

objectionable merely because in the course thereof words are uttered, or 

signs or visible representations are made, expressing disapprobation or 

criticism of any law or of any policy or administrative action of the 

Government with a view to obtain its alteration or redress by lawful 

means. 

Explanation II.— In judging whether any performance is an 

objectionable perfor- mance, the play, pantomime or other drama shall be 

considered as a whole. 

(4) “Public place” means any building or enclosure, or any place in the 

open air and any pandal where the sides are not enclosed to which the 

public are admitted to witness a performance. 

3. Power to prohibit objectionable performances.— (1) Whenever 

the Government is satisfied that any play, pantomime or other drama 

performed or about to be performed in a public place is an objectionable 

performance, it may, by order stating the grounds on which they consider 

the performance objectionable, prohibit the performance. 

(2) No order under sub-section (1) shall be passed without giving a 

reasonable opportunity to the organizer or other principal persons 

responsible for the conduct of the performance or to the owner or occupier 

of the public place in which such performance is intended to take place to 

show cause why the performance should not be prohibited. 

(3) Every order made under sub-section (1) shall be published in the Official 

Gazette. 

 

 

 



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(4) Any order made under sub-section (1) may also be notified by 

proclamation and a written or printed notice thereof may be affixed at any 

place or places adapted for giving information of the order to the persons 

intending to take part in the performance so prohibited. 

4. Power to prohibit objectionable performances temporarily.— (1) 

The District Magistrate may, if he is of opinion that any play, pantomime 

or other drama performed or about to be performed, being of the nature 

specified in clause (3) of section 2, is likely to lead to a breach of the 

peace, by order stating the grounds for such opinion, prohibit its 

performance: 

Provided that the officer who passed such order may review it on an 

application made by the person or party affected by such order. 

(2) Subject to any order made by the High Court on appeal under 

section 10, an order under this section shall remain in force for two 

months from the making thereof: 

Provided that the District Magistrate may, if he is of opinion that the 

order should continue in force, by such further order or orders as he may 

deem fit, extend the period aforesaid by such further period or periods not 

exceeding two months at a time as may be specified in such order or 

orders. 

5. Service of order of prohibition.— A copy of the order made under 

section 3, sub-section (1), or under section 4, sub-section (1) or sub-

section (2), may be served personally or in such other manner as may be 

prescribed by rules made under section 13, on the organizers or other 

principal persons responsible for the conduct of, or any person about to 

take part in the performance so prohibited or on the owner or occupier of 

the public place, in which such performance is intended to take place. 

 

6. Penalty for disobeying order.— Any person on whom a copy of the 

order referred to in section 3 or section 4 is served and who does, or 

willingly permits, any act in disobedience of such order, shall, on 

conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend 

to three months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or 

with both. 

7. Penalty for disobeying prohibition.— (1) Any person who, after the 

publication of an order under section (3), sub-section (3), or during the 

period when an order made under section 4, sub-section (1) or sub-section 

(2), is in force, organizes or is responsible for the conduct of, or who with 

the knowledge that such an order under section 3 or section 4 is in force 

takes part in, the performance prohibited thereby or any performances  

 



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substantially the same as the performances so prohibited, shall, on 

conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend 

to three months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, 

or with both. 

(2) Any person who being the owner or occupier, or having the use of 

any public place, opens, keeps or uses the same for any performance 

prohibited under section 3 or section 4, or permits the same to be opened, 

kept or used for any such performance shall, on conviction, be punished 

with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with 

fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. 

 

8. Power to call for information.— (1) For the purpose of ascertaining 

the character of any intended play, pantomime or other drama, the 

Government, or such officer as it may empower in this behalf, may, by 

order require the organizers or other principal persons responsible for the 

conduct of, or other persons about to take part in, such play, pantomime 

or other drama or the author, proprietor or printer of the play, pantomime 

or other drama about to be performed, or the owner or the occupier of the 

place in which it is intended to be performed, to furnish such information 

as the Government or such officer may think necessary. 

(2) Every person so required shall be bound to furnish the 

information to the best of his ability within the time specified in 

such order and in case of

contravention shall be deemed to have committed an offence 

under section 176 of the Indian Penal Code. 
Central 

Act 45 

of 1860 



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9. Power to call for copy of purport of drama, etc.— (1) If the 

Government or the District Magistrate has reason to believe that an 

objectionable dramatic performance is about to take place, it or he, as the 

case may be, may, by order, direct that no such dramatic performance 

shall take place in any public place within any area, unless a copy of the 

piece, if and so far as it is written, or some sufficient account of its 

purport, if and so far as it is in pantomime, has been furnished, not less 

than seven days before the performance to the Government or the District 

Magistrate aforesaid. 

(2) A copy of any order made under sub-section (1) may be served on 

the owner or occupier of the public place, in which such performance is 

intended to take place and if thereafter he does, or willingly permits, any 

act in disobedience of such order, he shall, on conviction, be punished 

with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with 

fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both. 

(3) All offences punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and bailable. 

10. Appeal to High Court.— Any person aggrieved by an order under 

section 3, sub-section (1), or under section 4, sub-section (1) or sub-

section (2), may, within sixty days of the publication of such order under 

section 3, sub-section (3), or, as the case may be, within sixty days of the 

date on which an order under section 4, sub section (1) or sub-section (2), 

is made, prefer an appeal to the High Court; and upon such appeal, the 

High Court may pass such orders as it deems fit confirming, varying or 

reversing the order appealed from, and may pass such consequential or 

incidental orders as may be necessary. 

 

11. Saving of prosecutions under other laws.— Where no order 

under section 3 or section 4 has been made in respect of any performance, 

nothing in this Act shall bar a prosecution under the Indian Penal Code or 

any other law. Central Act 45 of 1860 

 

12. Protection for acts done in good faith.— No suit, prosecution or 

other legal proceeding shall be instituted against any authority or officer 

for anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this 

Act or any rule made thereunder. 

13. Power to make rules.— (1) The Government may, by notification 

in the Official Gazette, make rules to carry out the purposes of this Act. 

 

(2) Every rule made under this Act shall be laid as soon as may be after 

it is made before the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu while 

it is in session for a total period of thirty days which may be comprised in 

one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the 

 

 

 



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session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the 

Legislature agree in making any modification in the rule or the 

Legislature agree that the rule should not be made, and notify such 

decision in the Official Gazette, the rule shall from the date of publication 

of such notification have effect only in such modified form or be of no 

effect, as the case may be, so however, that any such modification or 

annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything 

previously done or omitted to be done under that rule. 

14. Repeal.— The Portaria No. 6982 dated the 25th July, 1957 as 

modified by Order No. GAD/64/6964/1st, dated 2nd November, 1964 in so 

far as it applies to the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu, and the 

provisions of the Decree No. 38964 dated 27-9-1952 and any other law 

in force immediately before the commencement of this Act corresponding 

to this Act shall stand repealed. 


	Law and Judicial Department
	The Goa Dramatic Performances Act, 1969