79.—(1) The Minister shall appoint a Board of Justices of the Peace, to be called the Board of Visiting Justices, of which all Magistrates shall be ex-officio members.
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(2) Each member of the Board of Visiting Justices –
(a)
shall hold office for a period not exceeding 2 years or for such other period as the Minister may determine;
(b)
may from time to time be re-appointed or at any time be removed from office by the Minister; and
(c)
may at any time resign from his office by giving notice in writing to the Minister.
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(3) A Visiting Justice —
(a)
may at any time visit any prison or reformative training centre and may inspect the several wards, cells, yards, solitary or punishment cells and other apartments or divisions of the prison, inspect and test the quality and quantity of the prisoners’ food, hear the complaints (if any) of the prisoners, and question any prisoner or prison officer;
(b)
shall ascertain, so far as possible, whether the prison regulations are adhered to, and shall call the attention of the Superintendent to any irregularity that may be observed in the working of the prison or reformative training centre or in the treatment of any prisoner confined therein; and
(c)
shall exercise and perform such other powers and duties as may be prescribed.
(4) The Board shall appoint one or more of its members to be, on rotation, a Visiting Justice or Justices of the prisons for each month of the year, and such Visiting Justice or Justices shall hear, try and dispose of such prison offences as to which a report under section 74(1) has been made.
(5) Every Visiting Justice shall, for the purposes of this Act, have power to summon witnesses and to administer oaths.
(6) The Board shall in relation to persons detained in reformative training centres exercise such functions as may be required of it by any written law.