{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953/section-47",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953/section-47.json",
  "legislation": "apni/1953/18",
  "legislation_title": "Prison Act (Northern Ireland) 1953",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/prison-act-northern-ireland-1953",
  "path": "section/47",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "47",
  "heading": "Interpretation.",
  "text": "(1) For the purposes of this Act, unless the contrary intention appears, the following expressions have the meaning hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say—\n“Department” means the Department of Justice;\n“governor” includes the person for the time being in charge of any prison;\n“intoxicating liquor” includes any fermented, distilled or spirituous liquor which under the law for the time being in force is subject to an excise duty;\n“land” includes land covered by water and any estate or interest in land;\n“Minister” means the Minister of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland;\n“Ministry” means the Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland;\nDefinition rep. by 1989 NI 15\n“prisoner” includes any person lawfully committed to any prison.\n(1A) In this Act “prison” includes any prison or other institution for the treatment of offenders, not being—\n(a) a young offenders centre;\n(b) a remand centre; or\n(c) a juvenile justice centre\nbut this Act,. . . , shall have effect in relation to young offenders centres and remand centres and to persons detained therein as it has effect in relation to prisons and prisoners.\n(2) A reference in this Act to any prison shall be construed as including a reference to all land and buildings used for the purposes of or in connection with that prison.\n(3) For the purposes of this Act, a person committed to prison in default of payment of a sum adjudged to be paid by a conviction shall be treated as undergoing a sentence of imprisonment for the term for which he is committed, and consecutive terms of imprisonment shall be treated as one term.\nSubs. (4)(5) rep. by 1954 c. 33 (NI)",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 47(1): definition of \"Department\" inserted (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. 7 (with arts. 28-31); S.I. 2010/977, art. 1(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Functions transf. to S of S, SI 1973/2163"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "1989 NI 15"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "1998 NI 9"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "2005 NI 15"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [
    {
      "type": "words repealed",
      "affecting": "nisi/2008/1216",
      "affecting_title": "The Criminal Justice (Northern Ireland) Order 2008"
    }
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1953/18/section/47",
    "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."
}