Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act, 2013
Rights of accused persons
- Jurisdiction
- Zimbabwe
- Provision
- 70
- Source language
- English
- Recorded status
- in force
More details
- Recorded status
- in force
Provision text
Official source70 Rights of accused persons
(1) Any person accused of an offence has the following rights --
(a) to be presumed innocent until proved guilty;
(b) to be informed promptly of the charge, in sufficient detail to enable them
to answer it;
(c) to be given adequate time and facilities to prepare a defence:
No. I CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE AMENDMENT (No. 20) 2013
(d) tochoose a legal practitioner and, at their own expense, to be represented
by that legal practitioner;
(e) tobe represented by a legal practitioner assigned by the State and at State
expense, if substantial injustice would otherwise result;
(f) to be informed promptly of the rights conferred by paragraphs (d) and
(e);
(g) to be present when being tried;
(h) to adduce and challenge evidence; ,
(i) toremain silent and not to testify or be compelled to give self-incriminating
evidence;
(j) to have the proceedings of the trial interpreted into a language that they
understand:
(k) not to be convicted of an act or omission that was not an offence when it
took place;
(1) not to be convicted of an act or omission that is no longer an offence;
(m} not to be tried for an offence in respect of an act or omission for which
they have previously been pardoned or either acquitted or convicted on
the merits;
(n) tobe sentenced to the lesser of the prescribed punishments if the prescribed
punishment for the offence has been changed between the time the offence
was committed and the time of sentencing.
(2) Where this section requires information to be given to a person—
(a) the information must be given in a language the person understands; and
(b) ifthe person cannot read or write, any document embodying the information
must be explained in such a way that the person understands it.
(3) In any criminal trial, evidence that has been obtained in a manner that
violates any provision of this Chapter must be excluded if the admission of the evidence
would render the trial unfair or would otherwise be detrimental to the administration
of justice or the public interest.
(4) Any person who has been tried for an offence has the right, on payment of
a reasonable fee prescribed by law, to be given a copy of the record of the proceedings
within a reasonable time after judgment is delivered in the trial.
(5) Any person who has been tried and convicted of an offence has the right,
subject to reasonable restrictions that may be prescribed by law, to—
(a) have the case reviewed by a higher court; or
(b) appeal to a higher court agaist the conviction and sentence.
Source record
Source and verification
Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 20) Act, 2013 · ictministry.gov.zw · Retrieved 18 August 2026.
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