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CHAPTER 91
PART III
GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO ARREST, RECOGNISANCES AND SURETIES
11. (1) In making an arrest the peace officer or other person making the same Arrest. shall actually touch or confine the body of the person to be arrested, unless there be a submission to the custody by word or action.
(2) If the person to be arrested forcibly resists the endeavour to arrest him or attempts to evade the arrest, the peace officer or other person concerned may use all means necessary to effect the arrest:
Provided that nothing in this section contained shall be deemed to justify the use of greater force than was reasonable in the particular circumstances in which it was employed or was necessary for the apprehension of the offender.
12. (1) If any person acting under a warrant of arrest, or any peace officer having other authority to arrest, has reason to believe that the person to be arrested has entered into or is within any place, the person residing in or being in charge of such place shall, on demand of such person acting as aforesaid or such peace officer, allow him free ingress thereto and afford all reasonable facilities for a search therein.
(2) If ingress to such place cannot be obtained under the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, it shall be lawful in any case for a person acting under a warrant and, in any other case in which a warrant may issue but cannot be obtained without affording the person to be arrested an opportunity to escape, for a peace officer to enter such place and search therein and, in order to effect an entrance into such place, to break open any outer or inner door or window in any house or place, whether that of the person to be arrested or of any other person, or otherwise effect entry into
such house or place, if, after notification of his authority and purpose and demand of admittance duly made, or there is no person present to whom he can make such demand, he cannot otherwise obtain admittance.
13. Any peace officer or other person authorised to make an arrest may break out of any house or other place in order to liberate himself or any other person who, having lawfully entered for the purpose of making an arrest, is detained therein.
14. A person arrested shall not be subjected to more restraint than is necessary to prevent his escape.
15. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 16 of this Code, whenever a person is arrested by a peace officer or a private person, the peace officer making the arrest or to whom the private person makes over the person arrested may search such person and place in safe custody all articles other than necessary wearing apparel found upon him:
Provided that whenever the person arrested can be legally admitted to bail and bail is furnished, such person shall not be searched unless there are reasonable grounds for believing that he has about his person any-
(a) stolen article; or
(b) instrument of violence or offensive weapon; or
(c) tool connected with the kind of offence which he is alleged to have committed; or
(d) other article which may furnish evidence against him in regard to the offence which he is alleged to have committed.
(2) The right to search an arrested person shall be exercised with strict regard to decency.
(3) Where any property has been taken from a person under this section and such person is not charged before any court but is released on the grounds that there is not sufficient reason to believe that he has committed any offence, any property taken from him under the provisions of this section shall forthwith be restored to him.
(4) An arrested person shall be furnished with a receipt for any property which has been taken from him under this section, and the receipt shall specify that property.
16. Whenever it is necessary to cause a woman to be searched, the search shall be made by another woman, who need not be a police officer, and with strict regard to decency.
17. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 15 of this Code, the peace officer or other person making an arrest may take from the person arrested any offensive weapon or instrument of violence which he has about his person, and shall deliver all articles so taken to the court or officer before which or whom the peace officer or person making the arrest is required by law to produce the person arrested.
18. A peace officer making an arrest without a warrant, in exercise of any powers conferred upon him by the Penal Code, the Police Act or any other law for the time being in force, shall, without unnecessary delay and not later than forty-eight hours after such arrest, take or send the person arrested before a magistrate appointed to preside in a magistrate's court having jurisdiction in the case, unless the person arrested be earlier released on bail by a police officer having power in that behalf under the provisions of section 32 of the Police Act.
19. (1) Notwithstanding section 18 or any other law, a police officer of at least the rank of inspector may make an ex parte application to a magistrate, to have any person arrested for any offence specified under the First Schedule to the Bail Act detained for a further period not exceeding forty-eight hours where the inquiry into that offence is incomplete and where the police officer-
(a) has to secure or preserve evidence relating to the offence;
(b) has reasonable grounds for believing that the person arrested will interfere with or harm the evidence connected with the offence or interfere with or cause physical injury to other persons;
(c) has reasonable grounds for believing that the persons arrested will alert other persons suspected of also having committed the offence who have yet to be arrested; or
(d) has reasonable grounds for believing that the person arrested will hinder the recovery of any property obtained as a result of the offence.
(2) Subject to subsection (1), where further detention is authorised the person arrested-
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(a) shall be told the reason for such further detention; and
(b) the reason shall be noted on his custody record.
20. (1) Any person may arrest without a warrant a person who in his view commits a felony, or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed a felony provided that a felony has been committed. Any peace officer and any other person whom he may call to his assistance may also arrest without a warrant any person in the circumstances provided for in paragraphs (a) to (e) of subsection (1) of section 104 of the Penal Code.
(2) The owner of any property, or his servants or other persons authorised by him, may arrest without a warrant any person found in the act of committing an offence involving injury to such property.
(3) Any person arresting a person under the powers conferred by subsection (1) or (2) of this section, or under any powers under any law conferring powers of arrest upon persons other than a peace officer, shall without unnecessary delay make over the person so arrested to a peace officer or bring him before a magistrate.
(4) If any arrested person referred to in this section is brought before a peace officer and the peace officer is satisfied that there are grounds to suppose that he has committed an offence for which he may be arrested without a warrant, he shall re-arrest him, or if there is reason to believe that he has committed another offence, he shall be dealt with as if he had committed such other offence in the view of the peace officer concerned. Any person re-arrested by a peace officer under the provisions of this section shall thereafter be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of section 18 of this Code.
21. When any offence for which a person may be arrested, whether with or without a warrant, is committed in the presence of a magistrate, he may himself arrest or order any person to arrest the offender and may thereupon commit the offender, unless released on bail, to custody. Any order of a magistrate given under the provisions of this section, whether or not in writing, shall have the same force and effect as a warrant of arrest directed to the person required to carry out such order.
22. If a person in lawful custody escapes or is rescued, the person from whose custody he escapes or is rescued may immediately pursue and arrest him in any place in The Bahamas and may require any peace officer to assist him in so doing, and the provisions of sections 12 and 13 of this Code shall apply to action taken under the provisions of this section although such action is not taken under the authority of a warrant.
Article 87
Requests for cooperation: general provisions
1. (a) The Court shall have the authority to make requests to States Parties for
cooperation. The requests shall be transmitted through the diplomatic channel or any other
appropriate channel as may be designated by each State Party upon ratification, acceptance,
approval or accession.
Subsequent changes to the designation shall be made by each State Party in accordance
with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
(b) When appropriate, without prejudice to the provisions of subparagraph (a),
requests may also be transmitted through the International Criminal Police Organization or any
appropriate regional organization.
2. Requests for cooperation and any documents supporting the request shall either be in or be
accompanied by a translation into an official language of the requested State or one of the working
languages of the Court, in accordance with the choice made by that State upon ratification,
acceptance, approval or accession.
Subsequent changes to this choice shall be made in accordance with the Rules of
Procedure and Evidence.
3. The requested State shall keep confidential a request for cooperation and any documents
supporting the request, except to the extent that the disclosure is necessary for execution of the
request.
4. In relation to any request for assistance presented under this Part, the Court may take such
measures, including measures related to the protection of information, as may be necessary to
ensure the safety or physical or psychological well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and
their families. The Court may request that any information that is made available under this Part
shall be provided and handled in a manner that protects the safety and physical or psychological
well-being of any victims, potential witnesses and their families.
5. (a) The Court may invite any State not party to this Statute to provide assistance under
this Part on the basis of an ad hoc arrangement, an agreement with such State or any other
appropriate basis.
(b) Where a State not party to this Statute, which has entered into an ad hoc
arrangement or an agreement with the Court, fails to cooperate with requests pursuant to any such
arrangement or agreement, the Court may so inform the Assembly of States Parties or, where the
Security Council referred the matter to the Court, the Security Council.
6. The Court may ask any intergovernmental organization to provide information or
documents. The Court may also ask for other forms of cooperation and assistance which may be
agreed upon with such an organization and which are in accordance with its competence or
mandate.
7. Where a State Party fails to comply with a request to cooperate by the Court contrary to
the provisions of this Statute, thereby preventing the Court from exercising its functions and
powers under this Statute, the Court may make a finding to that effect and refer the matter to the
Assembly of States Parties or, where the Security Council referred the matter to the Court, to the
Security Council.
Article 88
Availability of procedures under national law
States Parties shall ensure that there are procedures available under their national law for
all of the forms of cooperation which are specified under this Part.
Article 89
Surrender of persons to the Court
1. The Court may transmit a request for the arrest and surrender of a person, together with the
material supporting the request outlined in article 91, to any State on the territory of which that
person may be found and shall request the cooperation of that State in the arrest and surrender of
such a person. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and the procedure
under their national law, comply with requests for arrest and surrender.
2. Where the person sought for surrender brings a challenge before a national court on the
basis of the principle of ne bis in idem as provided in article 20, the requested State shall
immediately consult with the Court to determine if there has been a relevant ruling on
admissibility. If the case is admissible, the requested State shall proceed with the execution of the
request. If an admissibility ruling is pending, the requested State may postpone the execution of
the request for surrender of the person until the Court makes a determination on admissibility.
3. (a) A State Party shall authorize, in accordance with its national procedural law,
transportation through its territory of a person being surrendered to the Court by another State,
except where transit through that State would impede or delay the surrender.
(b) A request by the Court for transit shall be transmitted in accordance with
article 87. The request for transit shall contain:
(i) A description of the person being transported;
(ii) A brief statement of the facts of the case and their legal characterization;
and
(iii) The warrant for arrest and surrender;
(c) A person being transported shall be detained in custody during the period of
transit;
(d) No authorization is required if the person is transported by air and no landing is
scheduled on the territory of the transit State;
(e) If an unscheduled landing occurs on the territory of the transit State, that State may
require a request for transit from the Court as provided for in subparagraph (b). The transit State
shall detain the person being transported until the request for transit is received and the transit is
effected, provided that detention for purposes of this subparagraph may not be extended beyond
96 hours from the unscheduled landing unless the request is received within that time.
4. If the person sought is being proceeded against or is serving a sentence in the requested
State for a crime different from that for which surrender to the Court is sought, the requested State,
after making its decision to grant the request, shall consult with the Court.
Article 90
Competing requests
1. A State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person under
article 89 shall, if it also receives a request from any other State for the extradition of the same
person for the same conduct which forms the basis of the crime for which the Court seeks the
person’s surrender, notify the Court and the requesting State of that fact.
2. Where the requesting State is a State Party, the requested State shall give priority to the
request from the Court if:
(a) The Court has, pursuant to article 18 or 19, made a determination that the case in
respect of which surrender is sought is admissible and that determination takes into account the
investigation or prosecution conducted by the requesting State in respect of its request for
extradition; or
(b) The Court makes the determination described in subparagraph (a) pursuant to the
requested State’s notification under paragraph 1.
3. Where a determination under paragraph 2 (a) has not been made, the requested State may,
at its discretion, pending the determination of the Court under paragraph 2 (b), proceed to deal
with the request for extradition from the requesting State but shall not extradite the person until the
Court has determined that the case is inadmissible. The Court’s determination shall be made on an
expedited basis.
4. If the requesting State is a State not Party to this Statute the requested State, if it is not
under an international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State, shall give priority
to the request for surrender from the Court, if the Court has determined that the case is admissible.
5. Where a case under paragraph 4 has not been determined to be admissible by the Curt, the
requested State may, at its discretion, proceed to deal with the request for extradition from the
requesting State.
6. In cases where paragraph 4 applies except that the requested State is under an existing
international obligation to extradite the person to the requesting State not Party to this Statute, the
requested State shall determine whether to surrender the person to the Court or extradite the
person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall consider all the
relevant factors, including but not limited to:
(a) The respective dates of the requests;
(b) The interests of the requesting State including, where relevant, whether the crime
was committed in its territory and the nationality of the victims and of the person sought; and
(c) The possibility of subsequent surrender between the Court and the requesting
State.
7. Where a State Party which receives a request from the Court for the surrender of a person
also receives a request from any State for the extradition of the same person for conduct other than
that which constitutes the crime for which the Court seeks the person’s surrender:
(a) The requested State shall, if it is not under an existing international obligation to
extradite the person to the requesting State, give priority to the request from the Court;
(b) The requested State shall, if it is under an existing international obligation to
extradite the person to the requesting State, determine whether to surrender the person to the Court
or to extradite the person to the requesting State. In making its decision, the requested State shall
consider all the relevant factors, including but not limited to those set out in paragraph 6, but shall
give special consideration to the relative nature and gravity of the conduct in question.
8. Where pursuant to a notification under this article, the Court has determined a case to be
inadmissible, and subsequently extradition to the requesting State is refused, the requested State
shall notify the Court of this decision.
Article 91
Contents of request for arrest and surrender
1. A request for arrest and surrender shall be made in writing. In urgent cases, a request may
be made by any medium capable of delivering a written record, provided that the request shall be
confirmed through the channel provided for in article 87, paragraph 1 (a).
2. In the case of a request for the arrest and surrender of a person for whom a warrant of
arrest has been issued by the Pre-Trial Chamber under article 58, the request shall contain or be
supported by:
(a) Information describing the person sought, sufficient to identify the person, and
information as to that person’s probable location;
(b) A copy of the warrant of arrest; and
(c) Such documents, statements or information as may be necessary to meet the
requirements for the surrender process in the requested State, except that those requirements
should not be more burdensome than those applicable to requests for extradition pursuant to
treaties or arrangements between the requested State and other States and should, if possible, be
less burdensome, taking into account the distinct nature of the Court.
3. In the case of a request for the arrest and surrender of a person already convicted, the
request shall contain or be supported by:
(a) A copy of any warrant of arrest for that person;
(b) A copy of the judgement of conviction;
(c) Information to demonstrate that the person sought is the one referred to in the
judgement of conviction; and
(d) If the person sought has been sentenced, a copy of the sentence imposed and, in
the case of a sentence for imprisonment, a statement of any time already served and the time
remaining to be served.
4. Upon the request of the Court, a State Party shall consult with the Court, either generally
or with respect to a specific matter, regarding any requirements under its national law that may
apply under paragraph 2 (c). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the
specific requirements of its national law.
Article 92
Provisional arrest
1. In urgent cases, the Court may request the provisional arrest of the person sought, pending
presentation of the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in
article 91.
2. The request for provisional arrest shall be made by any medium capable of delivering a
written record and shall contain:
(a) Information describing the person sought, sufficient to identify the person, and
information as to that person’s probable location;
(b) A concise statement of the crimes for which the person’s arrest is sought and of the
facts which are alleged to constitute those crimes, including, where possible, the date and location
of the crime;
(c) A statement of the existence of a warrant of arrest or a judgement of conviction
against the person sought; and
(d) A statement that a request for surrender of the person sought will follow.
3. A person who is provisionally arrested may be released from custody if the requested State
has not received the request for surrender and the documents supporting the request as specified in
article 91 within the time limits specified in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence. However, the
person may consent to surrender before the expiration of this period if permitted by the law of the
requested State. In such a case, the requested State shall proceed to surrender the person to the
Court as soon as possible.
4. The fact that the person sought has been released from custody pursuant to paragraph 3
shall not prejudice the subsequent arrest and surrender of that person if the request for surrender
and the documents supporting the request are delivered at a later date.