{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "apni/1953/18",
  "legislation_title": "Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Functions of the Ministry in relation to prisons and prisoners.",
  "text": "(1) The Department of Justice (in this Act referred to as “the Department”) shall be the authority responsible for providing and maintaining prisons and for the general regulation, direction and superintendence of prisons and prisoners.\n(2) Without prejudice to the foregoing sub-section, the Department shall continue to exercise and perform, subject to the provisions of this Act, all such powers, jurisdiction and duties as were heretofore exercised and performed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in relation to prisons and prisoners.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(1) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(1) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 1(2) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(2) substituted (12.4.2010) by Northern Ireland Act 1998 (Devolution of Policing and Justice Functions) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/976), arts. 1(2), 6(1), Sch. 4 para. 2(2) (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1953/18/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T21:33:41.124962+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "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."
}