Other forms of cooperation

Republic of Nauru

Criminal Procedure Act 1972

PART III - ARREST OF OFFENDERS AND PREVENTION OF OFFENCES

15 Search of arrested persons

(1) Where 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 any articles in his possession or under his control and place in safe custody all articles found in his possession or under his control and any article found upon him, except necessary wearing apparel :

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;
(b) instruments of violence ;
(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.

(4) Whenever it is necessary to cause a woman or girl to be searched, the search shall be made only by another woman with strict regard to decency.

16 Power of police officer to detain and search persons, vehicles, vessels and aircraft 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 has been, or 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 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 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 or aircraft any property stolen or unlawfully obtained, enter without warrant, and with or without assistants, on board such vessel or aircraft 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 or aircraft 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 any person in whose possession it 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 aircraft or who has landed with the property so conveyed away or found in his possession.

(3) Any police officer may, if he has reason to suspect that an offence has been committed, seize any articles which may be in a public place and which may furnish evidence in regard to the commission of that offence :

Provided that no articles may be seized under the provisions of this subsection unless there is a possibility of such articles being removed or dealt with in such a way as to prevent their being available as evidence.

(4) Any person detained under this section shall be dealt with under the provisions of section 21 of this Act.

17 Power to seize offensive weapons

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 15 of this Act, the police 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 magistrate or police officer before whom the police officer or other person making the arrest is required by law to bring or send the person arrested.

PART III - ARREST OF OFFENDERS AND PREVENTION OF OFFENCES

18 Refusal to give name and residence

(1) Where any person who in the presence of a police officer has committed or has been accused of committing a non-cognisable offence refuses on the demand of such police officer to give his name and residence, or gives a name and residence which such police officer, with reasonable cause, suspects to be false, he may be arrested by that police officer, or any other police officer, in order that his name and residence may be ascertained or verified.

(2) When the true name and residence of a person arrested under the provisions of the last preceding subsection have been ascertained he shall be released on his executing a recognizance, with or without sureties, for a reasonable amount to attend before the District Court at a time and place to be named in the recognizance :

Provided that if such person is not normally resident in Nauru the recognizance shall be secured by a surety or sureties normally resident in Nauru or by the deposit of a sum of money sufficient to satisfy any penalty which may be payable upon forfeiture of the recognizance.

(3) Where the true name and residence of any person arrested under the provisions of this section have not been ascertained within twenty-four hours from the time of arrest, or if he fails to execute the recognizance or, if so required, to furnish sufficient sureties or toor to deposit the proper sum of money, he shall forthwith be brought before a magistrate.

PART IV - PROVISIONS RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

74 Provisions of this Part generally applicable to summonses and warrants

The provisions contained in this Part relating to the issue, service and execution of summonses and warrants shall, so far as they may be applicable, apply to the issue, service and execution of every summons and every warrant of arrest issued under this Act.

75 Power to issue search warrant

Where it is proved on oath to a magistrate that in fact or according to reasonable suspicion anything upon, by or in respect of which an offence has been committed, or anything which is necessary to the conduct of an investigation into any offence, is in any building, ship, aircraft, vehicle, box, receptacle or place, the magistrate may issue a search warrant authorising a police officer or other person therein named to search the building, ship, aircraft, vehicle, box, receptacle or place, which shall be named or described in the warrant, for any such thing and, if anything searched for be found, or any other thing which there is reasonable cause to suspect to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained be found, to seize it and bring it before the District Court to be dealt with according to law.

76 Execution of search warrants

(1) A search warrant may be issued on any day, including a Sunday or a public holiday, and may be executed on any day, including a Sunday or a public holiday, between the hours of sunrise and sunset, but the magistrate may by the warrant, in his discretion, authorise the police officer or other person to whom it is addressed to execute it at any hour.

(2) As soon as practicable after the execution of a search warrant, the warrant shall be returned to the District Court endorsed with details of its execution ; the person upon whose application the warrant was issued shall be responsible for its proper return.

77 Persons in charge of closed places to allow ingress thereto and egress therefrom

(1) Where any building or other place liable to search in execution of a search warrant is closed, any person residing in or being in charge of that building or place shall, on demand of the police officer or other person executing the warrant and on production of the warrant, allow him free ingress thereto and egress therefrom and afford all reasonable facilities for a search therein.

(2) If ingress to or egress from any building or other place liable to search in execution of a search warrant is not allowed in accordance with the last preceding subsection, the police officer or other person executing the warrant may proceed in the manner authorised by sections 12 and 13 of this Act.

(3) Where any person in or about any building or place liable to search in execution of a search warrant is reasonably suspected of having any article for which search is authorised concealed about his person, that person may be searched ; if that person is a woman or girl, the provisions of subsection (4) of section 15 of this Act shall be observed.

78 Detention of property seized

(1) Where any thing is seized and brought before the District Court under the provisions of section 76 of this Act, it may be detained until the conclusion of the case or the inquiry, reasonable care being taken for its preservation.

(2) If any appeal is taken, or if any person is committed for trial, the District Court may order that anything seized and brought before it under the provisions of section 76 shall be further detained for the purpose of the appeal or the trial.

(3) If no appeal is taken, or if no person is committed for trial, the District Court shall direct that anything seized and brought before it under the provisions of section 76 shall be restored to the person from whom it was taken, unless the Court is authorised or required by law to dispose of it otherwise or that person consents to its being disposed of otherwise.

79 Provisions applicable to search warrants

Where applicable the provisions of sections 64(1) and (3), 66 and 69 of this Act shall apply to all search warrants issued under section 75 of this Act.

PART IV - PROVISIONS RELATING TO CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

100 Power to summon material witnesses and examine persons present

(1) Any Court may at any stage of any proceeding under this Act, of its own motion or on the application of any party, summon any person as a witness, or examine any person in attendance though not summoned as a witness, or recall and re-examine any person already examined, and the Court shall, unless the circumstances make it impossible to do so, summon and examine or recall and re-examine any such person if his evidence, or further evidence, appears to it essential to the just decision of the case :

Provided that the prosecutor, or the barrister and solicitor or pleader, if any, for the prosecution, and the accused, or his barrister and solicitor or pleader, if any, 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 such cross-examination to be adequately prepared if, in its opinion, either party may be prejudiced by the calling of any such person as a witness.

(2) The provisions of section 49 of the Courts Act 1972 shall apply mutatis mutandis in respect of any person who fails to attend before any Court in obedience to a summons issued under the preceding subsection as though that summons had been issued under section 48 of the said Courts Act.

101 Evidence to be given on oath or affirmation

Every witness in a criminal cause or matter shall be examined upon oath or affirmation, and the Court before which any witness attends shall have full power and authority to administer the usual oath or affirmation :

Provided that the Court may at any time, if it thinks it just and expedient for reasons to be recorded in the proceedings, take without oath or affirmation the evidence of any person who by reason of immature age ought not, in the opinion of the Court, to be admitted to give evidence on oath or affirmation ; the fact of the evidence having been so taken shall be recorded in the proceedings.

102 Refractory witnesses

Any person who, attending either in obedience to a summons or by virtue of a warrant, or being present in court and being verbally required by the Court to give evidence :

(a) refuses to be sworn or affirmed ;
(b) having been sworn or affirmed, refuses to answer any question properly put to him ; or
(c) refuses or neglects to produce any document or thing which he is required to produce,
without in any such case offering any sufficient excuse for such refusal or neglect, is guilty of an offence and is liable to imprisonment for six months and a fine of two hundred dollars.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(a) The identification and whereabouts of persons or the location of items;

(b) The taking of evidence, including testimony under oath, and the production of evidence, including expert opinions and reports necessary to the Court;

(c) The questioning of any person being investigated or prosecuted;

(d) The service of documents, including judicial documents;

(e) Facilitating the voluntary appearance of persons as witnesses or experts before the Court;

(f) The temporary transfer of persons as provided in paragraph 7;

(g) The examination of places or sites, including the exhumation and examination of grave sites;

(h) The execution of searches and seizures;

(i) The provision of records and documents, including official records and documents;

(j) The protection of victims and witnesses and the preservation of evidence;

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and

(l) Any other type of assistance which is not prohibited by the law of the requested State, with a view to facilitating the investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court.

2. The Court shall have the authority to provide an assurance to a witness or an expert appearing before the Court that he or she will not be prosecuted, detained or subjected to any restriction of personal freedom by the Court in respect of any act or omission that preceded the departure of that person from the requested State.

3. Where execution of a particular measure of assistance detailed in a request presented under paragraph 1, is prohibited in the requested State on the basis of an existing fundamental legal principle of general application, the requested State shall promptly consult with the Court to try to resolve the matter. In the consultations, consideration should be given to whether the assistance can be rendered in another manner or subject to conditions. If after consultations the matter cannot be resolved, the Court shall modify the request as necessary.

4. In accordance with article 72, a State Party may deny a request for assistance, in whole or in part, only if the request concerns the production of any documents or disclosure of evidence which relates to its national security.

5. Before denying a request for assistance under paragraph 1 (l), the requested State shall consider whether the assistance can be provided subject to specified conditions, or whether the assistance can be provided at a later date or in an alternative manner, provided that if the Court or the Prosecutor accepts the assistance subject to conditions, the Court or the Prosecutor shall abide by them.

6. If a request for assistance is denied, the requested State Party shall promptly inform the Court or the Prosecutor of the reasons for such denial.

7.

(a) The Court may request the temporary transfer of a person in custody for purposes of identification or for obtaining testimony or other assistance. The person may be transferred if the following conditions are fulfilled:

(i) The person freely gives his or her informed consent to the transfer; and

(ii) The requested State agrees to the transfer, subject to such conditions as that State and the Court may agree.

(b) The person being transferred shall remain in custody. When the purposes of the transfer have been fulfilled, the Court shall return the person without delay to the requested State.

8.

(a) The Court shall ensure the confidentiality of documents and information, except as required for the investigation and proceedings described in the request.

(b) The requested State may, when necessary, transmit documents or information to the Prosecutor on a confidential basis. The Prosecutor may then use them solely for the purpose of generating new evidence.

(c) The requested State may, on its own motion or at the request of the Prosecutor, subsequently consent to the disclosure of such documents or information. They may then be used as evidence pursuant to the provisions of Parts 5 and 6 and in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

9.

(a)

(i) In the event that a State Party receives competing requests, other than for surrender or extradition, from the Court and from another State pursuant to an international obligation, the State Party shall endeavour, in consultation with the Court and the other State, to meet both requests, if necessary by postponing or attaching conditions to one or the other request.

(ii) Failing that, competing requests shall be resolved in accordance with the principles established in article 90.

(b) Where, however, the request from the Court concerns information, property or persons which are subject to the control of a third State or an international organization by virtue of an international agreement, the requested States shall so inform the Court and the Court shall direct its request to the third State or international organization.

10.

(a) The Court may, upon request, cooperate with and provide assistance to a State Party conducting an investigation into or trial in respect of conduct which constitutes a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court or which constitutes a serious crime under the national law of the requesting State.

(b)

(i) The assistance provided under subparagraph (a) shall include, inter alia:

a. The transmission of statements, documents or other types of evidence obtained in the course of an investigation or a trial conducted by the Court; and

b. The questioning of any person detained by order of the Court;

(ii) In the case of assistance under subparagraph (b) (i) a:

a. If the documents or other types of evidence have been obtained with the assistance of a State, such transmission shall require the consent of that State;

b. If the statements, documents or other types of evidence have been provided by a witness or expert, such transmission shall be subject to the provisions of article 68.

(c) The Court may, under the conditions set out in this paragraph, grant a request for assistance under this paragraph from a State which is not a Party to this Statute.

Article 96 Contents of request for other forms of assistance under article 93

1. A request for other forms of assistance referred to in article 93 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. The request shall, as applicable, contain or be supported by the following:

(a) A concise statement of the purpose of the request and the assistance sought, including the legal basis and the grounds for the request;

(b) As much detailed information as possible about the location or identification of any person or place that must be found or identified in order for the assistance sought to be provided;

(c) A concise statement of the essential facts underlying the request;

(d) The reasons for and details of any procedure or requirement to be followed;

(e) Such information as may be required under the law of the requested State in order to execute the request; and

(f) Any other information relevant in order for the assistance sought to be provided.

3. 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 (e). During the consultations, the State Party shall advise the Court of the specific requirements of its national law.

4. The provisions of this article shall, where applicable, also apply in respect of a request for assistance made to the Court.