PART II – SUMMARY TRIAL

92. Trials in the Magistrates' Courts shall be conducted summarily in the manner and subject to the conditions laid offences.

93. The room or place in which the Court sits to hear and determine the charge shall be an open and public Court, to which the public generally shall have access as far as it can conveniently contain them.

94. When the accused or defendant comes before the Court on summons or warrant, or otherwise, either originally or on adjournment, then if the prosecutor, having had notice of the time and place appointed for the hearing or adjourned hearing of the charge, does not appear, the Court shall dismiss the charge, unless for some reason it thinks fit to adjourn or further adjourn the hearing.

PART II – SUMMARY TRIAL

101. (1) If at any time or place appointed by summons or on the adjournment of a hearing once begun the defendant does not appear, and if, in the former case, service of the summons on the defendant a reasonable time before the time for his appearance as aforesaid is duly proved, the Court may, if it thinks fit and where the charge is not one of felony, proceed with the hearing, and may convict the defendant in his absence, or refrain from doing so until he shall be brought before it.

(2) The Court may set aside any conviction made in the absence of the defendant upon being satisfied that his absence was due to causes over which he had no control, and that he has a probable defence upon the merits.

(3) Any sentences of imprisonment passed under subsection (1) shall be deemed to commence from the date of arrest.

(4) If the accused person who had not appeared as aforesaid is charged with felony, or if the Court in its discretion refrains from convicting the defendant in his absence, the Court shall issue a warrant for the arrest of the accused, and cause him to be brought before the Court.

Article 63
Trial in the presence of the accused
1. The accused shall be present during the trial.

Article 67
Rights of the accused
1. In the determination of any charge, the accused shall be entitled to a public hearing, having regard to the provisions of this Statute, to a fair hearing conducted impartially, and to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality:
(a) To be informed promptly and in detail of the nature, cause and content of the charge, in a language which the accused fully understands and speaks;
(b) To have adequate time and facilities for the preparation of the defence and to communicate freely with counsel of the accused’s choosing in confidence;
(c) To be tried without undue delay;
(d) Subject to article 63, paragraph 2, to be present at the trial, to conduct the defence in person or through legal assistance of the accused’s choosing, to be informed, if the accused does not have legal assistance, of this right and to have legal assistance assigned by the Court in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment if the accused lacks sufficient means to pay for it;
(e) To examine, or have examined, the witnesses against him or her and to obtain the attendance and examination of witnesses on his or her behalf under the same conditions as witnesses against him or her. The accused shall also be entitled to raise defences and to present other evidence admissible under this Statute;
(f) To have, free of any cost, the assistance of a competent interpreter and such translations as are necessary to meet the requirements of fairness, if any of the proceedings of or documents presented to the Court are not in a language which the accused fully understands and speaks;
(g) Not to be compelled to testify or to confess guilt and to remain silent, without such silence being a consideration in the determination of guilt or innocence;
(h) To make an unsworn oral or written statement in his or her defence; and
(i) Not to have imposed on him or her any reversal of the burden of proof or any onus of rebuttal.
2. In addition to any other disclosure provided for in this Statute, the Prosecutor shall, as soon as practicable, disclose to the defence evidence in the Prosecutor’s possession or control which he or she believes shows or tends to show the innocence of the accused, or to mitigate the guilt of the accused, or which may affect the credibility of prosecution evidence. In case of doubt as to the application of this paragraph, the Court shall decide.