Prisons Act, 1894 · Chapter XI: Prison-Offences
Section 50: Medical Officer to certify to fitness of prisoner for punishment
(1) No punishment of penal diet, either singly or in combination, or of whipping, or of change of labour under section 46, clause (2), shall be executed until the prisoner to whom such punishment has been awarded has been examined by the Medical Officer, who, if he considers the prisoner fit to undergo the punishment, shall certify accordingly in the appropriate column of the punishment-book prescribed in section 12.
(2) If he considers the prisoner unfit to undergo the punishment, he shall in like manner record his opinion in writing and shall state whether the prisoner is absolutely unfit for punishment of the kind awarded, or whether he considers any modification necessary.
(3) In the latter case he shall state what extent of punishment he thinks the prisoner can undergo without injury to his health.
State amendments to this section
Assam.
Amendment of Section 50 of Act 9 of 1894.—In sub-section (1) of section 50 of the Principal Act the words and comma “or of whipping,” shall be omitted.
[Vide Assam Act 12 of 1956, s. 4.]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 50
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.