Part IX-Search warrants
power to issue arrest warrants
98.— (1) Where it is proved on oath to a magistrate or a justice of the peace that in fact or according to reasonable suspicion anything relevant to the commission of an offence is in any building, ship, vehicle, box, receptacle or place, the magistrate or justice of the peace may by a search warrant authorise a police officer or other person named in it to search the building, ship, carriage, box, receptacle or place named or described in the warrant.
(2) If, during the authorised search —
(a) anything searched for is found; or
(b) any other thing reasonably suspected as having been stolen or unlawfully obtained is found —
the police officer or other person authorised by the search warrant may seize it and take it to the court issuing the warrant, or some other court, to be dealt with according to law.
Execution of search warrants
99. Every search warrant may be issued on any day (including Sunday) and may be executed between the hours of sunrise and sunset, but the magistrate or justice of the peace may by the warrant, specifically authorise the police officer or other person to whom it is addressed to execute it at any hour.
Persons in charge of closed place to allow access
100.— (1) Whenever any building or other place liable to search is closed, any person residing in or being in charge of the building or place shall, on demand of the police officer or other person executing the search warrant, and on production of the warrant, allow access and free movement out of it, and afford all reasonable facilities for the search.
(2) If the access to and movement out of the building or other place cannot be obtained, the police officer or other person executing the search warrant may proceed in any lawful manner.
(3) Where any person in or about such building or place is reasonably suspected of concealing on himself or herself any article for which search should be made, the person may be searched, and the provisions of section 16 shall be observed.
Detention of property seized
101.—(1) When anything is seized and brought before a court, it may be detained until the conclusion of the case or the investigation, and reasonable care shall be taken for its preservation.
(2) If any appeal is instituted, or if any person is committed for trial, the court may order property which has been detained to be further detained for the purpose of the appeal or the trial.
(3) If no appeal is instituted, or if no person is committed for trial, the court shall direct the property to be restored to the person from whom it was taken, unless the court sees fit or is authorised or required by law to otherwise dispose of it.
Provisions applicable to search warrants
102. The provisions of sections 86 (1) and (3) and 91 shall apply to all search warrants issued under section
98.
Procedures for dealing with documents claimed to be privileged
103.— (1) No claim as to privilege or confidentiality of any documents seized or to be seized under the authority of a search warrant shall be grounds for preventing such seizure or challenging the right of any person acting on the authority of the search warrant to seize the documents.
(2) Where any documents are seized under the authority of a search warrant and any person claims that the documents are subject to a lawful claim of privilege or confidentiality the person having custody of the documents in accordance with this Part shall, immediately upon becoming aware of such a claim, place the documents in a sealed bag or other receptacle and cause the documents to be delivered to the Registrar of the High Court.
Division 1—Compelling Attendance of Witnesses
Summons to witness
110.—(1) If a court is satisfied that material evidence can be given by or is in the possession of any person, it shall be lawful for a court having jurisdiction in any criminal case to issue a summons to the person requiring —
(a) attendance of the person before the court; or
(b) the person to bring and produce to the court all documents and writings in his or her possession
or power which are specified or otherwise sufficiently described in the summons, for the purpose of evidence in the case.
(2) A summons under sub-section (1) may be issued under the signature of a judge or magistrate, or an authorised court officer acting in accordance with an order made by a judge or magistrate.
Warrant for witness who disobeys summons
111.—(1) If, without sufficient excuse, a witness does not appear in obedience to a summons, the court may issue a warrant to bring the person before the court at such time and place as is specified in the warrant.
(2) Prior to issuing a warrant under sub-section (1), the court shall determine that there has been proper service of the summons a reasonable time before the date on which the witness has been required to appear.
Warrant for witness in first instance
112. If the court is satisfied by evidence on oath that a person will not attend unless compelled to do so, it may at once issue a warrant for the arrest and production of the witness before the court at a time and place specified in the warrant.
Mode of dealing with witness arrested under warrant
113.— (1) When any witness is arrested under a warrant the court may, on the furnishing of security by recognisance to the satisfaction of the court for the appearance of the person at the hearing of the case, order the person to be released from custody.
(2) If the witness fails to furnish security under sub-section (1), the court shall order the person to be detained and to be brought to the hearing.
Power of court to order prisoner to be brought for examination
114.— (1) In any case pending before it, a court wanting to examine as a witness any person confined in any prison may issue an order to the officer in charge of the prison requiring the prisoner to be brought in proper custody, at a time to be named in the order, before the court for examination.
(2) The officer in charge of the prison, on receipt of an order under sub-section (1), shall act in accordance with its terms, and shall provide for the safe custody of the prisoner during his or her absence from the prison.
Penalty for non-attendance of witness
115.—(1) Any person summoned to attend as a witness who —
(a) without lawful excuse, fails to attend as required by the summons; or
(b) having attended, departs without having obtained the permission of the court; or
(c) fails to attend after adjournment of the court after being ordered to attend —
shall be liable by order of the court to a fine not exceeding 10 penalty units, and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both.
(2) If good cause is shown, the High Court may remit or reduce any fine imposed under this section by a Magistrates Court.
Division 2—Examination of Witnesses
Power to summon material witness or examine person present
116.— (1) At any stage of trial or other proceeding under this Decree, any court may —
(a) summon or call any person as a witness; or
(b) examine any person in attendance though not summoned as a witness; or
(c) recall and re-examine any person already examined —
and the court shall summon and examine, or recall and re-examine any such person if the evidence appears to the court to be essential to the just decision of the case.
(2) The prosecution or the defence shall have the right to cross-examine any person giving evidence in accordance with sub-section (1), and the court shall adjourn the case for such time (if any) as it thinks necessary to enable the 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.
Evidence to be given on oath
117.— (1) Every witness in any criminal cause or matter shall be examined upon oath or affirmation, and the court before which any witness shall appear shall have full power and authority to administer the usual oath or affirmation.
(2) The court may at any time, if it thinks it just and expedient, take without oath the evidence of any person—
(a) declaring that the taking of any oath whatsoever is according to religious belief unlawful or impermissible; or
(b) who by reason of immature age or want of religious belief ought not, in the opinion of the court, to be admitted to give evidence on oath.
(3) The court shall record the fact that evidence has been taken in accordance with sub-section (2), and the reasons for allowing the evidence to be taken without oath.
Uncooperative witnesses
118.— (1) Whenever any person, appearing 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
(b) having been sworn, refuses to answer any question put to him or her; or
(c) refuses or neglects to produce any document or thing which the person is required to produce;
or
(d) refuses to sign his or her deposition
without in any such case offering any sufficient excuse for such refusal or neglect, the court may adjourn the case for any period not exceeding 8 days, and may in the meantime commit the person to prison, unless he or she sooner consents to do what is required.
(2) If such person, upon being brought before the court at or before the adjourned hearing, again refuses to do what is required, the court may again adjourn the case and commit the person for the same period, and so again from time to time until the person consents to do what is so required.
(3) Nothing in this section shall affect the liability of any such person to any other punishment or proceeding for refusing or neglecting to do what is so required, or shall prevent the court from disposing of the case in the meantime according to any other sufficient evidence taken before it.
Spouses may be called without the consent of the accused
119. In any trial the spouse of the accused person shall be a competent witness for the prosecution or defence without the consent of the accused person and may be compelled to give evidence in accordance with the provisions of this Decree.
Division 3—Commissions for the Examination of Witnesses
Issue of commission for examination of witness
120.—(1) Whenever in the course of any proceeding under this Decree, a judge or magistrate is satisfied that—
(a) the examination of a witness is necessary for the ends of justice; and
(b) the attendance of such witness cannot be procured without an amount of delay, expense or
inconvenience which, under the circumstances of the case, would be unreasonable—
the judge or magistrate may with the consent of the parties issue a commission to any magistrate, within the locality where such witness resides, to take the evidence of the witness.
(2) The magistrate to whom the commission is issued shall proceed to the place where the witness is or shall summon the witness before the court, and shall take down the evidence in the same manner, and may for this purpose may exercise the same powers as in the case of a trial.
Parties may examine witnesses
121. — (1) Any of the parties to any proceeding under this Decree in which a commission is issued may forward any interrogatories in writing which the judge or magistrate directing the commission may think relevant to the issue, and the magistrate to whom the commission is directed shall examine the witness upon the interrogatories.
(2) Any party may appear before such magistrate by their lawyer, or in person (if not in custody), and may examine, cross-examine and re-examine (as the case may be) the witness.
Return of commission
122.— (1) After any commission issued under this Division has been duly executed it shall be returned, together with the deposition of the witness examined, to the judge or to the magistrate (as the case may be), and all documents relating to the commission shall be open at all reasonable times to inspection of the parties, and may, subject to all just exceptions, be read in evidence in the case by either party, and shall form part of the record.
(2) Any deposition taken under the provisions of this Division may also be received in evidence at any subsequent stage of the case before another court.
Adjournment of trial
123. In every case in which a commission is issued under this Division, the proceedings may be adjourned for a specified time reasonably sufficient for the execution and return of the commission.
''Part VI-PROCEEDS OF CRIME, Division 2 - Requests by foreign countries, 34. Requests for information gathering orders''
Where-
(a) a criminal proceeding or investigation has commenced in a foreign country in respect of a serious offence;
(b) a property-tracking document in relation to the offence is reasonably believed to be located in Fiji; and
(c) the foreign country requests the Attorney-General to obtain the issue of-
(i) an order requiring the documents to be produced or made available for inspection in accordance with the law of Fiji; or
(ii) a search warrant in respect of the offence,
the Attorney-General may, in writing, authorise a police officer to apply to a Judge for-
(A) a production order under the Proceeds of Crime Act in respect of the offence for the purpose of obtaining possession of the property-tracking document; or
(B) a search warrant under Section 103 of the Criminal Procedure Code in relation to the property-tracking document.
1. Los Estados Partes, de conformidad con lo dispuesto en la presente Parte y con los procedimientos de su derecho interno, deberán cumplir las solicitudes de asistencia formuladas por la Corte en relación con investigaciones o enjuiciamientos penales a fin de:
(a) Identificar y buscar personas u objetos;
(b) Practicar pruebas, incluidos los testimonios bajo juramento, y producir pruebas, incluidos los dictámenes e informes periciales que requiera la Corte;
(c) Interrogar a una persona objeto de investigación o enjuiciamiento;
(d) Notificar documentos, inclusive los documentos judiciales;
(e) Facilitar la comparecencia voluntaria ante la Corte de testigos o expertos;
(f) Proceder al traslado provisional de personas, de conformidad con lo dispuesto en el párrafo 7;
(g) Realizar inspecciones oculares, inclusive la exhumación y el examen de cadáveres y fosas comunes;
(h) Practicar allanamientos y decomisos;
(i) Transmitir registros y documentos, inclusive registros y documentos oficiales;
(j) Proteger a víctimas y testigos y preservar pruebas;
(k) Identificar, determinar el paradero o inmovilizar el producto y los bienes y haberes obtenidos del crimen y de los instrumentos del crimen, o incautarse de ellos, con miras a su decomiso ulterior y sin perjuicio de los derechos de terceros de buena fe; y
(l) Cualquier otro tipo de asistencia no prohibida por la legislación del Estado requerido y destinada a facilitar la investigación y el enjuiciamiento de crímenes de la competencia de la Corte.
2. La Corte podrá dar seguridades a los testigos o expertos que comparezcan ante ella de que no serán enjuiciados o detenidos ni se restringirá su libertad personal por un acto u omisión anterior a su salida del Estado requerido.
3. Cuando la ejecución de una determinada medida de asistencia detallada en una solicitud presentada de conformidad con el párrafo 1 estuviera prohibida en el Estado requerido por un principio fundamental de derecho ya existente y de aplicación general, el Estado requerido celebrará sin demora consultas con la Corte para tratar de resolver la cuestión. En las consultas se debería considerar si se puede prestar la asistencia de otra manera o con sujeción a condiciones. Si, después de celebrar consultas, no se pudiera resolver la cuestión, la Corte modificará la solicitud según sea necesario.
4. El Estado Parte podrá no dar lugar a una solicitud de asistencia, en su totalidad o en parte, de conformidad con el artículo 72 y únicamente si la solicitud se refiere a la presentación de documentos o la divulgación de pruebas que afecten a su seguridad nacional.
5. Antes de denegar una solicitud de asistencia de conformidad con el párrafo 1 l), el Estado requerido considerará si se puede prestar la asistencia con sujeción a ciertas condiciones, o si es posible hacerlo en una fecha posterior o de otra manera. La Corte o el Fiscal, si aceptan la asistencia sujeta a condiciones, tendrán que cumplirlas.
6. Si no se da lugar a una solicitud de asistencia, el Estado Parte requerido deberá comunicar sin demora los motivos a la Corte o al Fiscal.
(a) La Corte podrá solicitar el traslado provisional de un detenido a los fines de su identificación o de que preste testimonio o asistencia de otra índole. El traslado podrá realizarse siempre que:
(i) El detenido dé, libremente y con conocimiento de causa, su consentimiento; y
(ii) El Estado requerido lo acepte, con sujeción a las condiciones que hubiere acordado con la Corte.
(b) La persona trasladada permanecerá detenida. Una vez cumplidos los fines del traslado, la Corte la devolverá sin dilación al Estado requerido.
(a) La Corte velará por la protección del carácter confidencial de los documentos y de la información, salvo en la medida en que éstos sean necesarios para la investigación y las diligencias pedidas en la solicitud.
(b) El Estado requerido podrá, cuando sea necesario, transmitir al Fiscal documentos o información con carácter confidencial. El Fiscal únicamente podrá utilizarlos para reunir nuevas pruebas.
(c) El Estado requerido podrá, de oficio o a solicitud del Fiscal, autorizar la divulgación ulterior de estos documentos o información, los cuales podrán utilizarse como medios de prueba de conformidad con lo dispuesto en las partes V y VI y de conformidad con las Reglas de Procedimiento y Prueba.
(i) El Estado Parte que reciba solicitudes concurrentes de la Corte y de otro Estado de conformidad con una obligación internacional y que no se refieran a la entrega o la extradición, procurará, en consulta con la Corte y el otro Estado, atender ambas solicitudes, de ser necesario postergando o condicionando una de ellas.
(ii) Si esto no fuera posible, la cuestión de las solicitudes concurrentes se resolverá de conformidad con los principios enunciados en el artículo 90.
(b) Sin embargo, cuando la solicitud de la Corte se refiera a información, bienes o personas que estén sometidos al control de un tercer Estado o de una organización internacional en virtud de un acuerdo internacional, el Estado requerido lo comunicará a la Corte y la Corte dirigirá su solicitud al tercer Estado o a la organización internacional.
10. (a) A solicitud de un Estado Parte que lleve a cabo una investigación o sustancie un juicio por una conducta que constituya un crimen de la competencia de la Corte o que constituya un crimen grave con arreglo al derecho interno del Estado requirente, la Corte podrá cooperar con él y prestarle asistencia;
(b)
(i) La asistencia prestada de conformidad con el apartado a) podrá comprender, entre otras cosas:
a. La transmisión de declaraciones, documentos u otros elementos de prueba obtenidos en el curso de una investigación o de un proceso sustanciado por la Corte; y
b. El interrogatorio de una persona detenida por orden de la Corte;
(ii) En el caso de la asistencia prevista en el apartado (b) (i) a.:
a. Si los documentos u otros elementos de prueba se hubieren obtenido con la asistencia de un Estado, su transmisión estará subordinada al consentimiento de dicho Estado;
b. Si las declaraciones, los documentos u otros elementos de prueba hubieren sido proporcionados por un testigo o un perito, su transmisión estará subordinada a lo dispuesto en el artículo 68.
(c) La Corte podrá, de conformidad con el presente párrafo y en las condiciones enunciadas en él, acceder a una solicitud de asistencia presentada por un Estado que no sea parte en el presente Estatuto.
1. La solicitud relativa a otras formas de asistencia a que se hace referencia en el artículo 93 deberá hacerse por escrito. En caso de urgencia, se podrá hacer por cualquier otro medio que permita dejar constancia escrita, a condición de que la solicitud sea confirmada en la forma indicada en el párrafo 1 (a) del artículo 87.
2. La solicitud deberá contener los siguientes elementos o estar acompañada de, según proceda:
(a) Una exposición concisa de su propósito y de la asistencia solicitada, incluidos los fundamentos jurídicos y los motivos de la solicitud;
(b) La información más detallada posible acerca del paradero o la identificación de la persona o el lugar objeto de la búsqueda o la identificación, de forma que se pueda prestar la asistencia solicitada;
(c) Una exposición concisa de los hechos esenciales que fundamentan la solicitud;
(d) Las razones y la indicación detallada de cualquier procedimiento que deba seguirse o requisito que deba cumplirse;
(e) Cualquier información que pueda ser necesaria conforme al derecho interno del Estado requerido para cumplir la solicitud; y
(f) Cualquier otra información pertinente para que pueda prestarse la asistencia solicitada.
3. A solicitud de la Corte, todo Estado Parte consultará con la Corte, en general o respecto de un asunto concreto, sobre las disposiciones de su derecho interno que puedan ser aplicables de conformidad con el párrafo 2 (e). En esas consultas, los Estados Partes comunicarán a la Corte las disposiciones específicas de su derecho interno.
4. Las disposiciones del presente artículo serán también aplicables, según proceda, con respecto a las solicitudes de asistencia hechas a la Corte.