The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972

ACT NO. 52 OF 1972

PREAMBLE

An Act to regulate the export trade in antiquities and art treasures, to provide for the prevention of smuggling of, and fraudulent dealings in, antiquities, to provide for the compulsory acquisition of antiquities and art treasures for preservation in public places and to provide for certain other matters connected therewith or incidental or ancillary thereto.

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SECTIONS

  1. Short title, extent and commencement.
  2. Definitions.
  3. Regulation of export trade in antiquities and art treasures.
  4. Application of Act 52 of 1962.
  5. Antiquities to be sold only under a licence.
  6. Appointment of licensing officers.
  7. Application for licence.
  8. Grant of licence.
  9. Renewal of licence.
  10. Maintenance of records, photographs and registers by licensees.
  11. Revocation, suspension and amendment of licences.
  12. Persons whose licences have been revoked may sell antiquities to other licensees.
  13. Power of Central Government to carry on the business of selling antiquities to the exclusion
    of others.
  14. Registration of antiquities.
  15. Appointment of registering officers.
  16. Application for registration and grant of certificate of registration.
  17. Transfer of ownership, etc., of antiquities to be intimated to the registering officer.
  18. Provisions of sections 14, 16 and 17 not to apply in certain cases.
  19. Power of Central Government to compulsorily acquire antiquities and art treasures.
  20. Payment of compensation for antiquities and art treasures compulsorily acquired under
    section 19.
  21. Appeals against decisions of licensing officers and registering officers.
  22. Appeals against awards of arbitrators.
  23. Powers of entry, search, seizure, etc.
  24. Power to determine whether or not an article, etc., is antiquity or art treasure.
  25. Penalty.
  26. Cognizance of offences.
  27. Magistrate’s power to impose enhanced penalties.
  28. Offences by companies.
  29. Protection of action taken in good faith.
  30. Application of other laws not barred.
  31. Power to make rules.
  32. Repeal.
  33. Amendment of Act 24 of 1958.

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972