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SOCIETIES REGISTRATION ACT, 1860 | SECTION 19

Section 19: Inspection of Documents and Certified Copies

Section 19 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860 concerns access to documents filed with the Registrar, the issue of certified copies or extracts, and their evidentiary value in legal proceedings. The applicable State or Union Territory amendments, rules and fee schedules must also be checked.

At a glance: The central text allows any person to inspect documents filed under the Act and obtain certified copies or extracts on payment of the prescribed statutory fee. A certified copy is prima facie evidence, not conclusive proof.

Text of Section 19 - Inspection of documents

Any person may inspect all documents filed with the Registrar under this Act on payment of a fee of one rupee for each inspection; and any person may require a copy or extract of any document or any part of any document, to be certified by the Registrar, on payment of two annas for every hundred words of such copy or extract;

Certified copies. And such certified copy shall be prima facie evidence of the matters therein contained in all legal proceedings whatever.

The above reproduces the historical central provision contained in the uploaded source. Its references to one rupee and two annas should not be assumed to represent current administrative charges in every jurisdiction; local amendments, rules and notifications may prescribe different procedures and fees.

Meaning and scope of Section 19

1. Right to inspect documents

The expression "any person" is broad: the central provision does not limit inspection to existing members of the society. It covers documents actually filed with the Registrar under the Act, rather than every internal document maintained by the society. Access arrangements, available electronic records and any applicable legal restrictions must be verified with the jurisdictional Registrar.

2. Copies and extracts certified by the Registrar

A person may request a complete copy or an extract of a filed document. The certification by the Registrar distinguishes an official certified copy from an ordinary photocopy or an uncertified online download. The text mentions a fee of two annas per hundred words, but the actual charge and method of application may be governed by applicable local law or office rules.

3. Evidentiary value: prima facie evidence

Under Section 19, a certified copy is prima facie evidence of the matters contained in it in legal proceedings. This means that it provides initial evidentiary support, subject to challenge or rebuttal; it does not automatically establish the truth of every underlying factual assertion or determine a dispute conclusively.

How to seek inspection or certified copies

  1. Identify the society by its registered name, registration number and relevant jurisdiction.
  2. Specify the document needed, such as the memorandum of association, filed rules, managing-body returns or other documents available in the Registrar's record.
  3. Apply to the appropriate Registrar of Societies through the permitted counter, prescribed form or online portal, if available.
  4. Pay the current fee under the applicable State or Union Territory provisions and retain the receipt or application reference.
  5. For use in legal proceedings, request a certified copy and verify that the certification is complete and legible.

Section 2 deals with the memorandum and certified rules filed at registration; Section 4 addresses the annual list of the managing body; Section 18 covers documents required from certain pre-existing societies. These provisions help identify the categories of records that may be on file.

State amendments and current law

Administration of society registration is jurisdiction-specific. Several States have amended the 1860 Act or enacted separate society-registration legislation. Before relying on Section 19 for a request or proceeding, check whether the central provision applies in the relevant State or Union Territory, and consult the current local rules, fee schedule and Registrar instructions. The original currency references in the central text should not be used as a universal current fee quotation.

Official legal resources

This article explains the general central provision and does not replace jurisdiction-specific verification of applicable amendments, fees or evidentiary requirements.