'Sentencing - national proceedings' in document 'Namibia - Geneva Conventions Act'

Jump to:

RELEVANT SECTIONS OF THE IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION

Punishment of grave breaches of Conventions and Protocol I
2. (5) If a court is satisfied that substantial and compelling circumstances exist which justify the imposition of a lesser sentence than the sentence prescribed in subsection (4)(a), it must enter those circumstances on the record of the proceedings and may thereupon impose such lesser sentence.

Reduction of sentence and custody for protected prisoners of war and internees
7. (1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other law contained, when a protected prisoner of war or a protected internee is convicted of an offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the court must, in fixing the term of imprisonment in respect of the offence, deduct from the term which it would otherwise have fixed any period during which the convicted person was in custody in connection with that offence, either on remand or after committal for trial (including the period of the trial), before the day on which the sentence imposed on the convicted person takes effect.

(2) The Minister of Justice may, where he or she is satisfied that a protected prisoner of war accused of an offence has been in custody in connection with that offence, either on remand or after committal for trial (including the period of the trial), in a place other than a camp or place in which protected prisoners of war are detained, for an aggregate period of not less than three months, direct that such prisoner must be transferred from that custody to the custody of an officer of the Namibian Defence Force and thereafter remain in military custody at a camp or place in which protected prisoners of war are detained, and be brought before the court at the time appointed by the remand or committal order.

RELEVANT ROME STATUTE PROVISIONS

Article 76
Sentencing
1. In the event of a conviction, the Trial Chamber shall consider the appropriate sentence to be imposed and shall take into account the evidence presented and submissions made during the trial that are relevant to the sentence.
2. Except where article 65 applies and before the completion of the trial, the Trial Chamber may on its own motion and shall, at the request of the Prosecutor or the accused, hold a further hearing to hear any additional evidence or submissions relevant to the sentence, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.
3. Where paragraph 2 applies, any representations under article 75 shall be heard during the further hearing referred to in paragraph 2 and, if necessary, during any additional hearing.
4. The sentence shall be pronounced in public and, wherever possible, in the presence of the accused.

Article 77
Applicable penalties
1. Subject to article 110, the Court may impose one of the following penalties on a person convicted of a crime referred to in article 5 of this Statute:
(a) Imprisonment for a specified number of years, which may not exceed a maximum of 30 years; or
(b) A term of life imprisonment when justified by the extreme gravity of the crime and the individual circumstances of the convicted person.
2. In addition to imprisonment, the Court may order:
(a) A fine under the criteria provided for in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence;
(b) A forfeiture of proceeds, property and assets derived directly or indirectly from that crime, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties.