Common Informer - Law Dictionary Search Results
Home Dictionary Name: common informerCommon informer
Common informer, a person who prosecutes others for breaches of penal laws, or furnishes evidence on criminal trials for no other reason than to get the penalty or a share of it; for a recent instance of an action to recover penalties, see Forbes v. Samuel, (1913) 3 KB 706. Statutes occasionally provide that no proceedings shall be taken without the leave of the Attorney-General, see, e.g., the (English) Larceny (Advertisements) Act, 1870 (33 & 34 Vict. c. 65), and the (English) Public health (Officers) Acts, 1884 and 1885. Sometimes, too, as by the (English) Larceny (Advertisements) Act, 1870, the informers have lost the benefit of their penal action by a retrospective enactment that proceedings therein be stayed in payment of their costs out of pocket. See PENAL STATUTE....
Informer
Informer, a person who prosecutes those who break any law or penal statute; also an approver. See QUI TAM; APPROVER; COMMON INFORMER.Means (1) Informant (2) A private citizen who brings a penal action to recover a penalty. Under some statutes, a private citizen is required to sue the offence for a penalty before any criminal liability can attach, Black's Law Dictionary, 7th Edn., p. 783....
Criminal information
Criminal information, a proceeding in the King's Bench Division of the High Court of Justice atthe suit of the king,without a previous indictment or presentment by a grand jury. Criminal informa-tions are of two sorts: (1) Ex officio, which is a formal, written suggestion of an offence com-mitted, filed bby the Attorney-General, or, in the vacancy of that office, by the Solicitor-General, in the King's Bench Division of the High Court, without the intervention of a grandjury. It lies for misdemeanours only, and not for treasons or felonies. The informationis filed in the Crown Office without the previous leave of the Court. (2) Information by the Master of the Crown Office, which is filed at the instance of an individual called 'the relator,' with the leave of the Court; and usually confined to gross and notorious misdemeanours, riots, batteries, libels, and other immoralities. Criminal informations may also be filed against judges and magistrates for illegal, unjust,and wilfully oppre...
First information report
First information report, An information given under sub-s. (1) of s. 154 Cr PC is commonly known as first information report (FIR) though this term is not used in the Code. It is a very important document. And as its nickname suggests it is the earliest and the first information of a cognizable offence recorded by an officer in charge of a police station, T.T. Antony v. State of Kerala, AIR 2001 SC 2637: (2001) 6 SCC 181....
Penal statute
Penal statute, penal statute or penal law is a law that defines an offence and prescribes its corresponding fine, penalty or punishment, Karnataka Rare Earth v. Senior Geologist, (2004) 2 SCC 783 (791).Those which impose penalties or punishments for an offence committed; they are construed strictly in favour of the person charged with the offence. See, however, remarks of Lord Alverstone, C.J., in Dunning v. Swetman, (1909) 1 KB 776.The penalties or forfeitures under these statutes are generally made recoverable by the Crown, or the party aggrieved, or a common informer, as the case may be. See 4 Hen. 7, c. 20; 31 Eliz. c. 3; 18 Eliz. c. 5; 21 Jac. 1, c. 4; the (England) House of Commons (Disqualification) Acts of 1782 and 1801; and Chitty's Statutes, tit. 'Penal Actions.'This remedy is generally designated a penal action; or, where one part of the forfeiture is given to the Crown and the other part to the informer, a popular or qui tam (q.v.) action. For an instance of a recent action...
Ex officio informations
Ex officio informations, proceedings filed in the King's Bench Division by the Attorney-General, at the direct and proper instance of the Crown, in cases of such enormous misdemeanours as peculiarly tend to disturb or endanger the govern-ment, or to molest or affront the sovereign in discharging the royal functions. The information is tried by a jury of the county where the offence arose, and for that purpose, unless the case be of such importance as to be tried at bar, it is sent down by writ of nisi prius into that county, and tried either by a common or special jury, like a civil action.-4 Steph. Com. See Archbold's Cr. Pl....
Information
Information, an accusation, or complaint, also, communicated knowledge.Information means any material in any form, including records, documents, memos, e-mails, opinions, advices, press-releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers, samples, models, data material held in any electronic form and information relating to any private body which can be accessed by a public authority under any other law for the time being in force. [Right to Information Act, 2005, s. 2(f)]Information in chancery. Where a suit was instituted on behalf of the Crown or Government, or of those of whom it had the custody by virtue of its prerogative (such as idiots and lunatics), or whose rights are under its particular protection (such as the objects of a public charity), the matter of complaint was offered to the Court by way of information by the Attorney or Solicitor-General, and not by way of petition. When a suit immediately concerned the crown or government alone, the proceeding was pur...
Compounding
Compounding, arranging, coming to terms; compounding a felony is where the party robbed not only knows the felon, but also takes his goods again, or other amends, upon an agreement not to prosecute; this offence was denominated theftbote. It is a misdemeanour and is punishable by fine and imprisonment. See Reg. v. Burgess, (1885) 16 QBD 141.It is no offence to compound a misdemeanour unless the offence is virtually an offence against the public, for the party injured may maintain an action to recover compensation in damages. See Keir v. Leeman, (1844) 6 QB 308; (1846) 9 QB 371; Odgers on the Common Law. And compounding offences only cognizable before magistrates on summary jurisdiction is not within 18 Eliz. c. 5.Corruptly to take reward for helping a person to recover stolen goods is felony (Larceny Act, 1916, s. 34); and to advertise a reward for the return of things stolen by an advertisement representing that no questions will be asked, etc., incurs a penalty of 50l. (Larceny Act, ...
citizen informant
citizen informant : an informant who is motivated to assist law enforcement officers by good citizenship as distinguished from one seeking some gain (as payment or concessions from police) called also citizen informer NOTE: The information given by a citizen informant is presumed under the law to be reliable. ...
Credit information
Credit information, means any information relating to (i) the amount and the nature of loans or advances, amounts outstanding under credit cards and other credit facilities granted or to be granted, by a credit institution or any borrower; (ii) the nature of security taken or proposed to be taken by a credit institution from any borrower for credit facilities granted or proposed to be granted to him; (iii) the guarantee furnished or any other non-fund based facility granted or proposed to be granted or proposed to be granted by a credit institution for any of its borrowers; (iv) the credit worthiness of any borrower of credit institution; (v) any other matter which the Reserve Bank, consider necessary for inclusion in the credit information to be collected and maintained by credit information companies, and specify, by notification, in this behalf [Credit Information Companies (Regulation) Act, 2005, s. 2(d)]....
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