PART III – GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARREST, ESCAPE AND RETAKING

Arrest Without Warrant

33. Disposal of persons arrested by police officer

A police officer making an arrest without a warrant shall, without unnecessary delay and subject to the provisions of this Code as to bail, take or send the person arrested before a magistrate having jurisdiction in the case or before an officer in charge of a police station.

PART IV – PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES

150. Power to summon witnesses, or examine person present

A court may, at any stage of a trial or other proceeding under this Code, summon or call any person as a witness, or examine any person in attendance though not summoned as a witness, or recall and re-examine a person already examined, and the court shall summon and examine or recall and re-examine any such person if his evidence appears to it essential to the just decision of the case :

Provided that the prosecutor or the advocate for the prosecution or the defendant or his advocate shall have the right to cross-examine any such person, and the court shall adjourn the case for such time (if any) as it thinks necessary to enable the cross-examination to be adequately prepared if, in its opinion, either party may be prejudiced by the calling of that person as a witness.

PART IV – PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

COMMISSIONS FOR THE EXAMINATION OF WITNESSES

155. Parties may examine witnesses

The parties to a proceeding under this Code in which a commission is issued may respectively forward any interrogatories in writing which the court or magistrate directing the commission may think relevant to the issue, and the magistrate to whom the commission is directed shall examine the witness upon those interrogatories.

Any such party may appear before the magistrate by advocate, or, if not in custody, in person, and may examine, cross-examine and re-examine (as the case may be) the witness.

PART IV – PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

193. Right of accused to be defended

A person accused of an offence before a criminal court, or against whom proceedings are instituted under this Code in a criminal court, may of right be defended by an advocate.

PART V – MODE OF TAKING AND RECORDING EVIDENCE IN TRIALS

GENERAL

194. Evidence to be taken in presence of accused

Except as otherwise expressly provided, all evidence taken in a trial under this Code shall be taken in the presence of the accused, or, when his personal attendance has been dispensed with, in the presence of his advocate (if any).

PART V – MODE OF TAKING AND RECORDING EVIDENCE IN TRIALS

SUBORDINATE COURTS

198. Interpretation of evidence to accused or his advocate

(1) Whenever any evidence is given in a language not understood by the accused, and he is present in person, it shall be interpreted to him in open court in a language which he understands.

(2) If he appears by advocate and the evidence is given in a language other than English and not understood by the advocate, it shall be interpreted to the advocate in English.

(3) When documents are put in for the purpose of formal proof, it shall be in the discretion of the court to interpret as much thereof as appears necessary.

(4) The language of the High Court shall be English, and the language of a subordinate court shall be English or Swahili.

PART VI – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE SUBORDINATE COURTS

PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE HEARING AND DETERMINATION OF CASES

206. Non-appearance of parties after adjournment

(1) If, at the time or place to which the hearing or further hearing is adjourned, the accused person does not appear before the court which made the order of adjournment, the court may, unless the accused person is charged with felony, proceed with the hearing or further hearing as if the accused were present, and if the complainant does not appear the court may dismiss the charge with or without costs.

(2) If the court convicts the accused person in his absence, it may set aside the conviction upon being satisfied that his absence was from causes over which he had no control, and that he had a probable defence on the merits.

(3) A sentence passed under subsection (1) shall be deemed tocommence from the date of apprehension, and the person effecting apprehension shall endorse the date thereof on the back of the warrant of commitment.

(4) If the accused person who has not appeared is charged with a felony, or if the court refrains from convicting the accused in his absence, the court shall issue a warrant for the apprehension of the accused person and cause him to be brought before the court.

PART VI – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE SUBORDINATE COURTS

PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE HEARING AND DETERMINATION OF CASES

207. Accused to be called upon to plead

(1) The substance of the charge shall be stated to the accused person by the court, and he shall be asked whether he pleads not guilty, guilty or guilty subject to a plea agreement.

PART VI – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE SUBORDINATE COURTS

PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE HEARING AND DETERMINATION OF CASES

207. Accused to be called upon to plead

(4) If the accused person refuses to plead, the court shall order a plea of "not guilty" to be entered for him.

PART VI – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE SUBORDINATE COURTS

PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE HEARING AND DETERMINATION OF CASES

208. Procedure on plea of not guilty

(2) The accused person or his advocate may put questions to each witness produced against him.

PART IX – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE THE HIGH COURT

CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION

302. Cross-examination of witnesses for prosecution

The witnesses called for the prosecution shall be subject to cross-examination by the accused person or his advocate, and to re-examination by the advocate for the prosecution.

PART IX – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE THE HIGH COURT

CASE FOR THE PROSECUTION

306. Close of case for prosecution

(2) When the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution has been concluded, the court, if it considers that there is evidence that the accused person or any one or more of several accused persons committed the offence, shall inform each such accused person of his right to address the court, either personally or by his advocate (if any), to give evidence on his own behalf, or to make an unsworn statement, and to call witnesses in his defence, and in all cases shall require him or his advocate (if any) to state whether it is intended to call any witnesses as to fact other than the accused person himself ; and upon being informed thereof, the judge shall record the fact.

PART IX – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE THE HIGH COURT

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

307. Defence

The accused person or his advocate may then open his case, stating the facts or law on which he intends to rely, and making such comments as he thinks necessary on the evidence for the prosecution ; the accused person may then give evidence on his own behalf and he or his advocate may examine his witnesses (if any), and after their cross- examination and re-examination (if any) may sum up his case.

PART IX – PROCEDURE IN TRIALS BEFORE THE HIGH COURT

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE

308. Additional witnesses for the defence

The accused person shall be allowed to examine any witness not previously summoned to give evidence at the trial, if that witness is in attendance.

Article 55
Rights of persons during an investigation
1. In respect of an investigation under this Statute, a person:
(a) Shall not be compelled to incriminate himself or herself or to confess guilt;
(b) Shall not be subjected to any form of coercion, duress or threat, to torture or to any other form of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment;
(c) Shall, if questioned in a language other than a language the person fully understands and speaks, have, free of any cost, the assistance of a competent interpreter and such translations as are necessary to meet the requirements of fairness; and
(d) Shall not be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention, and shall not be deprived of his or her liberty except on such grounds and in accordance with such procedures as are established in this Statute.
2. Where there are grounds to believe that a person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court and that person is about to be questioned either by the Prosecutor, or by national authorities pursuant to a request made under Part 9, that person shall also have the following rights of which he or she shall be informed prior to being questioned:
(a) To be informed, prior to being questioned, that there are grounds to believe that he or she has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court;
(b) To remain silent, without such silence being a consideration in the determination of guilt or innocence;
(c) To have legal assistance of the person's choosing, or, if the person does not have legal assistance, to have legal assistance assigned to him or her, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by the person in any such case if the person does not have sufficient means to pay for it; and
(d) To be questioned in the presence of counsel unless the person has voluntarily waived his or her right to counsel.

Article 63
Trial in the presence of the accused
1. The accused shall be present during the trial.
2. If the accused, being present before the Court, continues to disrupt the trial, the Trial Chamber may remove the accused and shall make provision for him or her to observe the trial and instruct counsel from outside the courtroom, through the use of communications technology, if required. Such measures shall be taken only in exceptional circumstances after other reasonable alternatives have proved inadequate, and only for such duration as is strictly required.

Article 66
Presumption of innocence
1. Everyone shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty before the Court in accordance with the applicable law.
2. The onus is on the Prosecutor to prove the guilt of the accused.
3. In order to convict the accused, the Court must be convinced of the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt.

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.