Lesotho

Penal Code Act, 2010

PART II - GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY

Attempts
22. (1) If, with intent to commit a criminal offence, a person does an act which is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the offence, she or he commits the offence of an attempt to commit the offence.

(2) Subsection (1) shall apply even where the facts are such that the commission of an offence is impossible.


Counseling, procuring etc
23. (1) A person who counsels, procures or incites another to do any act or make any such omission of such a nature that if the act were done or the omission were made, an offence would thereby be committed, commits an offence.

(2) A person counsels, procures or incites the commission of an of-fence if he or she recruits, advises or otherwise encourages another person to commit that offence.

(3) A conviction under subsection (1) shall carry the same penal consequences as a conviction for the actual commission of the offence.


Aiding and abetting
24. (1) Where an offence is committed, each of the following persons is liable and may be charged -

(a) a person who actually does the act or makes the omission which constitutes the offence;

(b) a person who does or omits to do any act for the purpose of enabling or aiding another person to commit the offence;

(c) a person who, with the intention of giving assistance, is present at the scene of the crime within such distance from the perpetrator as to be in a position to render immediate assistance to him or her to evade arrest or conceal the offence;

(d) a person who counsels, procures or incites any other per-son to commit the offence.


Conspiracy
25. If a person agrees with another person or persons that a course of conduct shall be pursued or joins such agreement which, if carried out in accordance with their intentions, either -

(a) will lead to the commission of any offence by one or more of the parties to the agreement; or

(b) would do so but for the existence of facts which render the commission of the offence impossible,
he or she commits an offence of conspiracy to commit the offence or offences in question.


Shared intention or common purpose
26. (1) Where two or more persons share a common intention or purpose to pursue an unlawful purpose together, and in the pursuit of such purpose an offence is committed, then each party to the common intention is deemed to have committed the offence.

(2) There shall be no conviction in the circumstances under subsection (1) if it cannot be proved that the accused person could reasonably have been expected to have foreseen the commission of the offence.


Accessory after the fact
27. A person who assists another person who has completed the commission of an offence to escape arrest or apprehension commits the offence of being an accessory after the fact.

Keywords

Individual criminal responsibility



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