Immunity - national proceedings

Gambia

Gambia - Constitution 1996 (2001) EN

69. Immunity from civil criminal proceedings

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted or continued against any and person while holding or performing the functions of office of President in respect of anything done or omitted to be done by him or her whether in an official or a private capacity.

(2) Nothing in subsection (1) applies to an action for a declaration under section 5 (enforcement of the Constitution), and any proceedings under that section against the President or a person performing the functions of that office shall be brought against him or her by his or her official title or style, and he or she shall appear, and be represented by, the Attorney General.

(3) After a President has vacated the office or President-

(a) no court may entertain any action against him or her in any civil proceedings in respect of any act done in his or her official capacity as President;

(b) a criminal court shall only have jurisdiction to entertain proceedings against him or her in respect of acts or omissions alleged to have been perpetrated by him or her while holding office as President if the National Assembly has resolved on a motion supported by not less than two-thirds of all the members that such proceedings are justified in the public interest.

114. Privilege of the National Assembly

Without prejudice to the generality of section 113, no civil or criminal proceedings shall be instituted against a member of the National assembly in any court or other place outside the National Assembly by reason of anything said by him or her in the National assembly.

115. Immunity service of process and arrest

No civil or criminal process issuing from any court or other place outside the National Assembly shall be served on or executed in relation to a member of the National Assembly while he or she is on his or her way to, attending or returning from any proceeding of the National Assembly.

116. Immunity from witness summons

Neither any member of the National Assembly nor the clerk of the National Assembly shall be compelled while attending the National Assembly to appear as a witness in any court or place outside the National Assembly.

13. Legal Proceedings

(1) No member of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, any person appointed minister by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling council or other appointees of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council shall be held liable or answerable before a Court or authority or under this Constitution or any other law, either jointly or severally, for an act or omission in the performance of his or her official duties.

(2) After the coming into force of this Constitution, it shall not be lawful for any court or tribunal to entertain any action or take any decision or make any order or grant any remedy or relief in any proceedings instituted against the Government of The Gambia or any person acting under the authority of the Government of The Gambia, or against any person or persons acting in concert or individually to assist or bring about the change in government which took place on the twenty second day of July 1994, in respect of any act or omission relating to, or consequent upon:
(a) the overthrow of the government in power before the formation of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council ; or
(b) the suspension or abrogation of the Constitution of The Gambia 1970; or
(c) the establishment of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council; or
(d) the establishment of this Constitution.

(3) For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that no action taken or purported to have been taken in the exercise of the executive, legislative or judicial power by the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council or a member there of, or by any person appointed by the ArmedForces Provisional Ruling Council in the name of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council except judges of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal, shall be questioned in any proceedings whatsoever and, accordingly, it shall not be lawful for any court or tribunal to make any order or grant any remedy or relief in respect of any such act.

(4) The provisions of subparagraph (3) shall have effect notwithstanding that any such action as is referred to in that subparagraph was not taken in accordance with any procedure prescribed by law.

(5) It shall not be lawful for any court or tribunal to entertain an action instituted in respect of an act or omission against a person acting or omitting to act on the instructions or authority of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council, or a member thereof, and alleged to be in contravention of any law whether substantive or procedural, in existence before or during the administration of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council.

Rome Statute

Article 27 Irrelevance of official capacity

1. This Statute shall apply equally to all persons without any distinction based on official capacity. In particular, official capacity as a Head of State or Government, a member of a Government or parliament, an elected representative or a government official shall in no case exempt a person from criminal responsibility under this Statute, nor shall it, in and of itself, constitute a ground for reduction of sentence.

2. Immunities or special procedural rules which may attach to the official capacity of a person, whether under national or international law, shall not bar the Court from exercising its jurisdiction over such a person.