{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-1952/section-19",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-1952/section-19.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/Geo6and1Eliz2/15-16/52",
  "legislation_title": "Prison Act 1952",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-1952",
  "path": "section/19",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "19",
  "heading": "Right of justice to visit prison.",
  "text": "(1) A justice of the peace for assigned to any local justice area . . . may at any time visit any prison in that area . . . and any prison in which a prisoner is confined in respect of an offence committed in that area . . . and may examine the condition of the prison and of the prisoners and enter in the visitors’ book, to be kept by the governor of the prison, any observations on the condition of the prison or any abuses.\n(2) Nothing in the preceding subsection shall authorise a justice of the peace to communicate with any prisoner except on the subject of his treatment in the prison, ....\n(3) The governor of every prison shall bring any entry in the visitors’ book to the attention of the independent monitoring board at their next visit.",
  "extent": "E+W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 19(1) substituted (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), s. 110(1), Sch. 8 para. 94(2); S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words repealed by Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70), Sch. 30"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 19(1) substituted (27.9.1999) by 1999 c. 22, ss. 76(2), 108(3)(c), Sch. 10 para. 21(a)(b) (with Sch. 14 para. 7(2))"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 19(2) repealed (1.4.2005) by Courts Act 2003 (c. 39), s. 110(1), Sch. 8 para. 94(3), Sch. 10; S.I. 2005/910, art. 3(y)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in s. 19(3) substituted (1.11.2007) by Offender Management Act 2007 (c. 21), s. 41(1), Sch. 3 para. 6; S.I. 2007/3001, art. 2(1)(r)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 19(1)(3) modified (31.10.1991) by Criminal Justice Act 1991 (c. 53, SIF 39:1), s. 87(4); S.I. 1991/2208, art. 2(4), Sch. 3S. 19(1) modified (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/674, reg. 2, Sch. Pt. II para. 5(2)(l)S. 19(1) modified (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/675, art. 2, Sch. Pt. II para. 7(2)(l)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Geo6and1Eliz2/15-16/52/section/19",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T11:17:21.749923+00:00",
    "licence": "OGL-UK-3.0",
    "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
    "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
  }
}