Introduction

Taking legal measures to protect antiquities making use of the Antiquities Ordinance and other Acts incidental to it and taking legal action to punish persons who violate provision of such Acts, through courts.

Acts used for the purpose of protecting antiquities.

• Antiquities Act No. 09 of 1940.
• Antiquities (Amendment) Act No. 24 of 1998.
• Enhancement of Fines (Amendment ) Act No. 12 of 2005.
• Recovery of Govt. Possession Act No. 07 of 1979.

Administrative Hierarchy of the Division

Role of the Legal Division

• Taking legal actions against persons who violate the Antiquities Ordinance. Suing offenders so that they are sentenced to punishment at a court.
• Making occasional amendments to the Antiquities Ordinance
• Coordination of work of the Department of Archaeology with the Police Department and the Attorney General’s Department.
• Holding preliminary inquiries, framing charge sheets and leading the complaints in front of the one man tribunal at the disciplinary inquiries relating to misconduct of employees of the Department.
• Taking action to grant rewards to officers and individuals concerned under the Archaeological Reward Fund.

Functions Performed by the Legal Division in 2010

During the year 2010, 342 incidents of arresting persons for violating the provision of the Antiquities Ordinance were reported. Of them, punishment could be imposed through courts to persons in 171 cases and an amount exceeding ten million rupees has been credited to the Government as fines recovered from guilty parties.