Lunacy of the accused at the time of offence
Section 144 of the Navy Act, 1957 deals with lunacy of the accused at the time of offence. Whenever any person subject to naval law is acquitted upon the ground that, at the time at which he is alleged to have committed an offence, he was, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing the nature of the act alleged as constituting the offence, or that it was wrong or contrary to l The Act came into force on 01 Jan 1958.
(1) Whenever any person subject to naval law is acquitted upon the ground that, at the time at which he is alleged to have committed an offence, he was, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing the nature of the act alleged as constituting the offence, or that it was wrong or contrary to law, the finding shall specifically state whether he committed the act or not.
(2) Whenever the finding made under sub-section (1) states that the accused person committed the act alleged, the court-martial shall, if such act would, but for the incapacity found, have constituted an offence, order such person to be detained in safe custody in such place and in such manner as may be prescribed and shall report the action taken to the officer convening the court.
(3) The officer convening the court shall then report the case for the orders of the Central Government and shall take necessary steps to detain the said person in safe custody pending receipt of such orders.
(4) The Central Government may on receipt of a report under sub-section (3) order the accused person to be detained in a mental hospital or other suitable place of safe custody.
Section 144, The Navy Act, 1957 (Act 62 of 1957).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Questions about Section 144
What does Section 144 of the Navy Act deal with?
Section 144 of the Navy Act is headed "Lunacy of the accused at the time of offence". Whenever any person subject to naval law is acquitted upon the ground that, at the time at which he is alleged to have committed an offence, he was, by reason of unsoundness of mind, incapable of knowing the nature of the act alleged as constituting the offence, or that it was wrong or contrary to l
How do I find court cases under Section 144 of the Navy Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Navy Act 1957 144, section 144 Navy Act 1957, section 144 of the Navy Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
What should I read with Section 144 of the Navy Act, and has it changed?
2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it.
When did Section 144 of the Navy Act come into force?
Section 144 of the Navy Act, cited as Navy Act 1957 144, came into force on 01 Jan 1958, having been enacted on 27 Dec 1957. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 97. Constitution of courts-martial1231 words
- 31. Liability for maintenance of wife and children1010 words
- 82. Provisions as to award of punishment902 words
- 3. Definitions777 words
- 133. Presumption as to certain documents679 words
- 168. Appointment of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy and his subordinate officers526 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 19 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.