'Arrest for national proceedings' in document 'Tuvalu - Criminal Procedure Code'

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RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION

PART III - GENERAL PROVISIONS

10 Arrest

(1) In making an arrest the police officer or other person making the same 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 such person forcibly resists the endeavour to arrest him, or attempts to evade the arrest, such police officer or other person 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.


11 Search of place entered by person sought to be arrested

(1) If any person acting under a warrant of arrest, or any police officer having 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 police 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 subsection (1), it shall be lawful in any case for a person acting under a warrant, and, in any case in which a warrant may issue but cannot be obtained without affording the person to be arrested an opportunity to escape, for a police 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 of 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 he cannot otherwise obtain admittance.


12 Power to break out of house or other place for purpose of liberation

Any police 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.


13 No unnecessary restraint

The person arrested shall not be subjected to more restraint than is necessary to prevent his escape.


14 Search of arrested persons

(1) Whenever a person is arrested by a police officer or a private person, the police 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 articles; or
(b) instruments of violence; or
(c) tools connected with the kind of offence which he is alleged to have committed; or
(d) other articles 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 does not include the right to examine his private person.

(3) Where any property has been taken from a person under this section, and the person is not charged before any court but is released on the ground that there is no sufficient reason to believe that he has committed any offence, any property so taken from him shall be restored to him.


15 Powers of police officers to detain and search persons, vehicles and vessels in certain circumstances

(1) Any police officer who has reason to suspect that any article stolen or unlawfully obtained, or any article in respect of which a criminal offence or an offence against the customs laws has been, is being, or is about to be, committed, is being conveyed, whether on any person or in any vehicle, package or otherwise, or is concealed or carried on any person in a public place, or is concealed or contained in any vehicle or package in a public place, for the purpose of being conveyed, may, without warrant or other written authority, detain and search any such person, vehicle or package, and may take possession of and detain any such article which he may reasonably suspect to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained or in respect of which he may reasonably suspect that a criminal offence or an offence against the customs laws has been, is being, or is about to be committed, together with the package, if any, containing it, and may also detain the person conveying, concealing or carrying such article:
Provided that this subsection shall not extend to the case of postal matter in transit by post except where such postal matter has been, or is suspected of having been, dishonestly appropriated during such transit.

(2) Any police officer of or above the rank of sergeant may, if he has reason to suspect that there is on board any vessel any property stolen or unlawfully obtained, enter without warrant, and with or without assistants, board such vessel and may remain on board for such reasonable time as he may deem expedient, and may search with or without assistants any and every part of such vessel, and, after demand and refusal of keys, may break open any receptacle, and upon discovery of any property which he may reasonably suspect to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained may take possession of and detain such property and may also detain the person in whose possession the same is found. Such police officer may pursue and detain any person who is in the act of conveying any such property away from any such vessel, or
after such person has landed with the property so conveyed away or found in his possession.

(3) Any person detained under this section shall be dealt with under the provisions of section 23.


16 Mode of searching women

Whenever it is necessary to cause a woman to be searched, the search shall be made by another woman with strict regard to decency.


17 Power to seize offensive weapons

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 14, the officer or other person making any arrest may take from the person arrested any instruments 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 officer or person making the arrest is required by law to produce the person arrested.

PART III - GENERAL PROVISIONS

40 Order to give security

(1) If upon such inquiry it is proved that it is necessary for keeping the peace or maintaining good behaviour, as the case may be, that the person in respect of whom the inquiry is made should enter into a recognisance, with or without sureties, the magistrate shall make an order accordingly:
Provided that —
(a) no person shall be ordered to give security of a nature different from, or of an amount larger than, or for a period longer than, that specified in the order made under section 34;
(b) the amount of every recognisance shall be fixed with due regard to the circumstances of the case and shall not be excessive;
(c) when the person in respect of whom the inquiry is made is a minor, the recognisance shall be entered into only by his sureties.

(2) Any person ordered to give security for good behaviour under this section may appeal to the Senior Magistrate, or, if the order under appeal was made by the Senior Magistrate, to the High Court, and the provisions of Part IX (relating to appeals) shall apply to every such appeal.


41 Discharge of person informed against

If on an inquiry under section 39 it is not proved that it is necessary for keeping the peace or maintaining good behaviour, as the case may be, that the person in respect of whom the inquiry is made should enter into a recognisance, the magistrate shall make an entry on the record to that effect, and, if such person is in custody only for the purposes of the inquiry, shall release him, or if such person is not in custody, shall discharge him.


42 Commencement of period for which security is required

(1) If any person in respect of whom an order requiring security is made under section 34 or 40 is, at the time such order is made, sentenced to or undergoing a sentence of imprisonment, the period for which such security is required shall commence on the expiration of such sentence.

(2) In other cases such period shall commence on the date of such order unless the magistrate, for sufficient reason, fixes a later date.

PART IV - PROVISIONS RELATING TO ALL CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND PROCEEDINGS

87 Warrant after issue of summons

Notwithstanding the issue of a summons, a warrant may be issued at any time before or after the time appointed in the summons for the appearance of the accused, but no such warrant shall be issued before the time appointed in the summons for the appearance of the accused unless a complaint has been made upon oath.


88 Summons disobeyed

If the accused does not appear at the time and place appointed in and by the summons, and his personal attendance has not been dispensed with under section 86, the court may issue a warrant to apprehend him and cause him to be brought before such court.


89 Form, contents and duration of warrant of arrest

(1) Every warrant of arrest shall be under the hand of the judge or magistrate issuing the same.

(2) Every warrant shall state shortly the offence with which the person against whom it is issued is charged and shall name or otherwise describe such person, and it shall order the person or persons to whom it is directed to apprehend the person against whom it is issued and bring him before the court issuing the warrant or before some other court having jurisdiction in the case to answer to the charge therein mentioned and to be further dealt with according to law.

(3) Every such warrant shall remain in force until it is executed or until it is cancelled by the court which issued it.