Section 3
Power to require a destitute person to reside in a welfare home
of Destitute Person'S Act 1977
Any officer duly authorized in writing by a local authority and acting under the direction of the Director General or any social welfare officer may take into his charge any destitute person and produce such person before a Magistrate within twenty-four hours:
Provided that if the destitute person refuses to be taken or offers any resistance to the officers mentioned in this subsection, such officer may call upon any police officer for assistance in the exercise of his powers, and it shall be the duty of every police officer to comply with such request.
(2)
If the Magistrate has reasonable cause to believe that any person so brought before him is a destitute person, he may order such person to be admitted temporarily to a welfare home pending a report by a social welfare officer.
Destitute Persons 7
(3)
The report shall be completed within a period of one month from the date of such person’s admission into a welfare home.
(4)
A Magistrate in Chambers if satisfied from a report furnished by a social welfare officer that the person is a destitute person, may by warrant under his hand order that person to reside in a welfare home for a period which shall not exceed three years:
Provided that a Magistrate in Chambers may, if satisfied from a report furnished by a social welfare officer, extend the Order for a further period which he deems fit and that period shall not exceed three years.
(5)
The Superintendent of the welfare home shall keep such destitute person who has been temporarily admitted or who has been so ordered to reside in a welfare home.
(6)
This section shall not apply to any person who is under eighteen years of age.