Injunction against criminal prosecution barred where district board order was enforceable only through prosecution, not civil coercive relief.

A civil court cannot grant an injunction to restrain a district board from enforcing an order through prosecution where the contemplated enforcement is a criminal proceeding. The negative direction under section 181 of the District Boards Act was enforceable by prosecution, not by civil coercive relief, and the Specific Relief Act barred an injunction to stay a judicial proceeding or a criminal matter. The suit for injunction was therefore not maintainable and the plaintiff was not entitled to the relief sought.

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Issues: Whether a civil court could grant an injunction to restrain a district board from enforcing its order by prosecution, and whether such relief was barred by the Specific Relief Act.

Analysis: A negative direction under section 181 of the District Boards Act was capable of enforcement by prosecution, not by physical demolition or civil coercive relief. The contemplated enforcement was a criminal proceeding, and the civil court could not intervene to stop a lawful prosecution. Section 56(a) and section 56(e) of the Specific Relief Act prohibited an injunction to stay a judicial proceeding and to stay proceedings in a criminal matter.

Conclusion: The suit for injunction was not maintainable and the plaintiff was not entitled to the relief sought.

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