19 December 1997 It is hereby notified that the President has assented to the following Act which is hereby published for general information:— No. 105 of 1997: Criminal Law Amendment Act. 1997. I I KANTOOR VAN DIE PRESIDENT No. 1659. 19 Desember 1997 Hierby word bekend gemaak dat die President SY goedkeuring geheg het aan die onderstaande Wet wat hierby ter algemene inligting gepubliseer word:— No. 105 van 1997: Strafregwysigin.gswet, 1997. ~ No. 18519 Act No. 105, 1997 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 19 DECEMBER 1997 CRIktINAL LAW AMENDMENT An, 1997 GENERAL EXPLANATORY NOTE: [ 1 Words in bold type in square brackets indicate omissions from existing enactments. Words underlined with a sohd llne indl~ate insertions in existing enactments. 8 1+$ ACT To make provision for the setting aside of all sentences of death in accordance with law and their substitution by lawful punishments; to amend certain laws so as to repeal provisions relating to capital punishment; to provide for minimum sentences for certain serious offences; and to provide for matters connected therewith. PREAMBLE WHEREAS the Constitution-of the Republic of South 1996), provides that everyone has the right to life; Africa, 1996 (Act No. 108 of AND WHEREAS the Constitutional Court has ruled unconstitutional and therefore invalid: that the sentence of death is AND WHEREAS it is necessary to make provision for the setting aside of all sentences in accordance with law and their substitution by lawful punishments, such (English text signed by the President. ) (Assented to 27 November 1997.) B E IT THEREFORE ENACTED by the Parliament of the Republic of South AfricA as follows:— Substitution of sentence of death 1. (1) The Minister of Justice shall, as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act, refer the case of every person who has been sentenced to death and has in 5 respect of that sentence exhausted all the recognised legal procedures pertaining to appeal or review, or no longer has such procedures at his or her disposal, to the court in which the sentence of death was imposed. (2) The court shall consist of the judge who imposed the sentence in question or, if it cannot be so constituted, the Judge President of the COUrt in question shall designate any 10 other judge of that court to deal with the matter h terms of subsection (3). (3) (a) The COUrt shall be furnished with written ~gument on behalf of the person sentenced to d~th ~d the prosecuting authority. ., . . ...-.!-- > 4 N(, 1X51(J ,\ct ho. 105, 1997 (b) The court— GOVERNM~ G~E, 19 DECEMBER 1997 CRIMIN,4L LAW’ AMENDME~ Am, 1997 ,-., (i) shall consider the written arguments and the evidence led at the triaf; and (ii ) ma). if necessary. hear oral argument on such wri(ten Mwments, find shall advise the President. with fu]] reasons therefor, of tie n~ to set aside the sentence of death. of the appropriate sentence to be substi~tti i,~+ its Place and, if applicable. of the date to which the sentence shall be antedated. (4) The President shall set aside the sentence of death and substitute for the sentence of death the punishment advised by the court, (5) NO appeal shall lie in respect of an)’ aspect of the proceedings, finding or advice of the court in terms of subsection (3). (6) (c[ ) Pending the commencement of the Legal Aid Guide as contemplated in section 3A of the Legal Aid Act, 1969 (Act No. 18 of 1969). and to the extent that (he ~gaf Aid Guide as it exists at the comrnencenient of this Act does not regulate (he position of the granting of legal aid or legal representation in respect of the proceedings referred to in subsections ( 1 ) to (5), the Legal Aid Board may issue directives, in consul~tion with the Minister of Justice. in terms of which legal aid or legal representation may be rendered or made available for purposes of subsections ( 1 ) to (5). (b ~ (i) The directives contemplated in paragraph (a) shall be published in the Gazerre by the Minister of Justice. ,, (ii ) Before the directives are published in the Ga~erre. they shall be” submitted to Parliament and tabled as soon as possible. (7) The appeal of even person who has been sentenced to death and who has’appealed to the Supreme Court of Appeal against that sentence and not against conviction, shall be head b) the full court of the division which would have heard such an appeal if a direction in terms of section 3 15(2)(u) of the criminal Procedure Act. 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977). had. a[ the time the-appeal was noted. been competent and been made by the trial court, , (8) The registrar of the Supreme Court of Appeal shall. as soon as practicable after the commencement of this Act. remit the record of every appeal referred to in subsection (7) to the registrar of the court which will hear such appeal. (9) The full coun shall. in hearing an appeal referred to it in terms of subsection (7), \et aside the sentence of death and thereafter have the same powers it would have had if the appeal had been refened to it in terms of section 3 15(2 )(a) of the Criminal Procedure Act. 1977 (/iCt NO. f] of 1977). i 10) All other appeals in cases where the sentence of death was imposed and which are either part heard or pending before the Supreme Court of Appeal shall be disposed of’ b! that court. uhich for that purpose shall have the povers set forth in section 322(2) ~~f the Crinl]na] Procedure Act. 1977 (Act No. 51 of 1977). (11 } A sentence of imprisonment substituted for the sentence of death in terms of this section, ma) be antedated b) the court to a specified date. which shall not be earlier than the da[e on uhich the sentence of death was imposed. (12 ) FOI- the purposes of this section. an~r provision of the criminal Procedure Act. 1977 ( .4ct No. 51 of 1977]. amended 01- rep_ealed b> this Act. shall be deemed not to be so amended 01- repealed. Amendment of section 83 of Act 44 of 1957, as substituted by section 39 of Act 87 of 1984 and amended by section 25 of Act 132 of 1992