Transit proceedings

South Africa

Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Act No. 27 of 2002)

Chapter 4
Cooperation with and assistance to Court in or outside South Africa(ss 8-32)

Part 1
Cooperation with court: arrest of persons and their surrender to court (ss 8-13)

11 Removal of persons surrendered

(1) Any person in respect of whom an order to be surrendered has been given under section 10 (5) or who agrees to his or her surrender, may be removed from the Republic in the custody of a person authorized by the Court to receive him or her and if the person escapes while being so removed, he or she may be arrested without a warrant by any person.

(2) Any person who-

(a) while being so removed, escapes or attempts to escape from custody; or

(b) rescues or attempts to rescue from custody any person being so removed,

is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to imprisonment for a period not exceeding five years.

12 Entry and passage of persons in custody through Republic

Any person entering and passing through the Republic in custody by virtue of any warrant or order lawfully issued by the Court is, during his or her passage through the Republic, and despite any other law, deemed to be in lawful custody and may be held in any police cell, lock-up, prison or any other detention facility which may be designated by the Cabinet member responsible for the administration of justice, in consultation with the Cabinet member responsible for correctional services or for safety and security, as the case may be, for that purpose.

Rome Statute

Article 89 Surrender of persons to the Court

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.