Enforcement of sentences imposed

Mauritius

Mauritius - ICC Act 2011 EN

PART I – PRELIMINARY

2. Interpretation

In this Act –

“prisoner” means a person who is in custody within or outside a prison –
(a) to serve a sentence; or

PART VI – OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

32. Request for enforcement of fine or forfeiture order

(1) Where the Attorney-General receives a request from the International Criminal Court for the enforcement of a fine or any order for forfeiture in Mauritius, he shall lodge with the Master and Registrar or present a certified copy of the order if where he is satisfied that the order is not subject to any review or appeal and that the request is supported by –
(a) a concise statement of the purpose of the request, and the assistance sought, including the legal basis and the ground for the request;
(b) as much information as possible about the location or identification of any person or place that shall be found 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 by the law of Mauritius in order to execute the request; and
(f) any other information that is available and may be relevant in the
circumstances.

(2) The Master and Registrar with whom a certified copy of a request order is lodged under subsection (1) shall register such order in respect of the persons or items specified therein

PART VI - OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

34. Registration of sentence or compensatory order

(1) Where the Attorney-General receives a request from the International Criminal Court for assistance in Mauritius to recover a fine to which a person has been sentenced in criminal proceedings in the International Criminal Court, or for the execution of an order for the payment of compensation for damages to any person made in such proceedings, he shall ascertain that –
(a) the sentence or order is final and not subject to review or appeal ;
(b) the person on whom the sentence was imposed or against whom the order was made, had the opportunity of defending himself ;
(c) the sentence or order cannot be satisfied in full except by confiscating and realising property; and
(d) the person concerned holds property in Mauritius.

(2) On being satisfied of the requirements of under subsection (1), the Attorney- General shall lodge with the Clerk of a Court in Mauritius having jurisdiction or the Master and Registrar, as the case may be, a certified copy of the document confirming the sentence or order.

(3) The Clerk of the Court or the Master and Registrar, as the case may be, shall forthwith give written notice of the registration of the sentence or order to the person on whom it was imposed or against whom it was made or who has effective control over the relevant property in Mauritius

PART VI - OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

35. Registration of forfeiture order

(1) Where the Attorney-General receives a request for assistance in executing a forfeiture order in Mauritius made by the International Criminal Court, he shall ascertain that –
(a) the order is final and not subject to review or appeal;
(b) the person against whom the order was made had the opportunity of defending himself;
(c) the order cannot be satisfied in full except by confiscating and realising property;
(d) the order is enforceable by the International Criminal Court;
(e) the person concerned holds property in Mauritius; and
(f) the request is supported by –
(i) a concise statement of the purpose of the request, including the legal basis and the ground for the request;
(ii) as much information as possible about the location or identification of the property in question;
(iii) a concise statement of the essential facts underlying the request ;
(iv) the reasons for and details of any procedure or requirement to be followed; and
(v) any other information that is available and may be relevant in the circumstances.

(2) On being satisfied that the requirements of subsection (1) have been complied with, the Attorney-General shall lodge with the Clerk of a Court in Mauritius having jurisdiction or the Master and Registrar, as the case may be, a certified copy of the forfeiture order.

(3) The Clerk or the Master and Registrar of the Court registering a forfeiture order shall forthwith issue a notice in writing, addressed to the person against whom the order has been made, to the effect that –
(a) the order has been registered at the Court concerned; and
(b) the said person may, within the prescribed period and in the prescribed manner, apply to that Court for the setting aside of the registration of the order.

(4) (a) Where the person against whom the forfeiture order has been made is present in Mauritius, the notice referred to in subsection (3) shall be served on the person in the prescribed manner.
(b) Where the said person is not present in Mauritius, he shall be informed of the registration of the forfeiture order in such manner as the Court may determine.

PART VI - OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

36. Effect of registration

(1)Notwithstanding any other enactment a sentence or an order of the International Criminal Court shall have effect as a sentence or order of a Court in Mauritius.

(2)Any sentence or order registered in terms of section 34 or 35 shall have the effect of a civil judgment of a Court in favour of the State, as represented by the Attorney-General.

(3)A forfeiture order may not be executed before the expiry of the period within which an application for the setting aside of the registration may be made, or if such application has been made, before the application is finally determined.

(4)The Attorney-General shall, subject to any agreement or arrangement between the International Criminal Court and Mauritius, pay over to the International Criminal Court any amount realised in the execution of a sentence or recovered in terms of an order, less any expenses incurred in connection with the execution of such sentence or order .

PART VI - OTHER FORMS OF ASSISTANCE

37. Setting aside registration of forfeiture order

(1) On the application of any person against whom the registration of a forfeiture order in terms of section 35 has been made, the registration may be set aside if the Court at which it was registered is satisfied that –
(a) the order was registered in breach of this Act;
(b) the order is subject to review or appeal;
(c) the person against whom the order was made, through no fault on his part, did not appear at the proceedings concerned or did not receive notice of the said proceedings as prescribed by the Statute or, if no such notice has been prescribed, that he did not receive reasonable notice of the proceedings so as to enable him to defend himself at the proceedings; or
(d) the order has already been satisfied.

(2) The Court hearing an application referred to in subsection (1) may, at any time, postpone the hearing of the application to such date as it may determine

PART VII – ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT

39. Enforcement of sentence of imprisonment

(1) Where the International Criminal Court, in terms of paragraph 1 of Article 103 of the Statute, designates Mauritius as a State in which a person upon whom the International Criminal Court has imposed a sentence of imprisonment shall serve that sentence, it shall inform the Attorney-General as soon as possible of such designation.

(2) The Attorney-General may accept the International Criminal Court’s designation on such conditions as he thinks fit and inform the International Criminal Court accordingly.

(3) (a) Where the International Criminal Court accepts any such conditions, any person on whom the International Criminal the Court has imposed a sentence of imprisonment shall, subject to Article 104, paragraph (b) of the Statute, be committed to a prison in Mauritius and a warrant for his detention lawfully issued by the International Criminal Court shall be deemed to be a valid warrant for the purposes of the Reform Institutions Act.
(b) Where the International Criminal Court decides to transfer a sentenced person referred to in paragraph (a) to a prison of another State, the Attorney-General shall, in consultation with the Commissioner of Prisons, arrange for the removal of that person from Mauritius in the custody of a person authorised by the International Criminal Court and section 19 shall apply to that person .

(4) (a) Subject to Articles 105 and 106 of the Statute, a person referred to in subsection (3) shall be subject to the Reform Institutions Act.
(b) A sentence of imprisonment referred to in subsection (3)(a) may only be modified by the relevant authorities in Mauritius at the request of the International Criminal Court, as a result of an appeal by the person serving the sentence to or review by, the International Criminal Court in terms of its Rules.
(c) The State shall, as far as possible, ensure that communications between persons serving a sentence referred to in subsection (3)(a) and the International Criminal Court can take place freely and confidentially .

Rome Statute

Article 103 Role of States in enforcement of sentences of imprisonment

1.

(a) A sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a State designated by the Court from a list of States which have indicated to the Court their willingness to accept sentenced persons.

(b) At the time of declaring its willingness to accept sentenced persons, a State may attach conditions to its acceptance as agreed by the Court and in accordance with this Part.

(c) A State designated in a particular case shall promptly inform the Court whether it accepts the Court's designation.

2.

(a) The State of enforcement shall notify the Court of any circumstances, including the exercise of any conditions agreed under paragraph 1, which could materially affect the terms or extent of the imprisonment. The Court shall be given at least 45 days' notice of any such known or foreseeable circumstances. During this period, the State of enforcement shall take no action that might prejudice its obligations under article 110.

(b) Where the Court cannot agree to the circumstances referred to in subparagraph (a), it shall notify the State of enforcement and proceed in accordance with article 104, paragraph 1.

3. In exercising its discretion to make a designation under paragraph 1, the Court shall take into account the following:

(a) The principle that States Parties should share the responsibility for enforcing sentences of imprisonment, in accordance with principles of equitable distribution, as provided in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence;

(b) The application of widely accepted international treaty standards governing the treatment of prisoners;

(c) The views of the sentenced person;

(d) The nationality of the sentenced person;

(e) Such other factors regarding the circumstances of the crime or the person sentenced, or the effective enforcement of the sentence, as may be appropriate in designating the State of enforcement.

4. If no State is designated under paragraph 1, the sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a prison facility made available by the host State, in accordance with the conditions set out in the headquarters agreement referred to in article 3, paragraph 2. In such a case, the costs arising out of the enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment shall be borne by the Court.

Article 104 Change in designation of State of enforcement

1. The Court may, at any time, decide to transfer a sentenced person to a prison of another State.

2. A sentenced person may, at any time, apply to the Court to be transferred from the State of enforcement.

Article 105 Enforcement of the sentence

1. Subject to conditions which a State may have specified in accordance with article 103, paragraph 1 (b), the sentence of imprisonment shall be binding on the States Parties, which shall in no case modify it.

2. The Court alone shall have the right to decide any application for appeal and revision. The State of enforcement shall not impede the making of any such application by a sentenced person.

Article 106 Supervision of enforcement of sentences and conditions of imprisonment

1. The enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment shall be subject to the supervision of the Court and shall be consistent with widely accepted international treaty standards governing treatment of prisoners.

2. The conditions of imprisonment shall be governed by the law of the State of enforcement and shall be consistent with widely accepted international treaty standards governing treatment of prisoners; in no case shall such conditions be more or less favourable than those available to prisoners convicted of similar offences in the State of enforcement.

3. Communications between a sentenced person and the Court shall be unimpeded and confidential.

Article 109 Enforcement of fines and forfeiture measures

1. States Parties shall give effect to fines or forfeitures ordered by the Court under Part 7, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties, and in accordance with the procedure of their national law.

2. If a State Party is unable to give effect to an order for forfeiture, it shall take measures to recover the value of the proceeds, property or assets ordered by the Court to be forfeited, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties.

3. Property, or the proceeds of the sale of real property or, where appropriate, the sale of other property, which is obtained by a State Party as a result of its enforcement of a judgement of the Court shall be transferred to the Court.