police custody is ordered, the Magistrate must record the reasons for such a decision. While in police custody, an accused is entitled to have interviews with legal advisers and also to have food and clothing supplied by relatives. In cases of preventive detention, the Constitution prohibits the detention of a person for a period exceeding six months unless an Advisory Board consisting of three persons, of whom two shall be persons who are, or have been, or are qualified to be appointed as, Judges of the Supreme Court and the other shall be a person who is a senior officer in the service of the Republic, has, after affording him an opportunity of being heard in person, reported before the expiration of the said period of six months that there is, in its opinion, sufficient cause for such detention.36 It is mandatory that the authority making the order of preventive detention shall, as soon as may be, communicate to the detainee the grounds on which the order has been made, and shall afford him the earliest opportunity of making a representation against the order.37 These provisions are translated into the Special Powers Act, 1974. Safeguard as to Trial and Punishment: The Constitution also sets forth a number of protections in respect of trial and punishment. Ex post facto legislation is prohibited, in that according to Article 35, “no person shall 36 37 38 Article 33 (4) of the Constitution. Article 33 (5) of the Constitution.