Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Pertinent Study Legislation
Pertinent Study Legislation
Act
10 of 1925
Amended by
2 of 1939
14 of 1939
28 of 1973
11 of 1979
19 of 1979
45 of 1979
3 of 1980
19 of 1985
27 of 1986
85 of 2000
*90 of 2000
*11 of 2005
Note on Section 4A
Section 4A(6) has been revised and section 4A(7) has been deleted to give effect
to the decision of the High Court in the case of Gilbert Evelyn and the Attorney
General of Trinidad and Tobago. (CV 2007—04514).
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
CHAPTER 11:08
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
1. Short title.
2. Interpretation.
3. Rule of Construction. Application of law of England.
HOMICIDE
4. Murder.
4A. Diminished responsibility.
4B. Provocation.
4C. Application of sections 4A and 4B.
5. Conspiring or soliciting to commit murder.
6. Manslaughter.
7. Excusable homicide.
8. Murder, etc., where hurt abroad and death in Trinidad and Tobago or
vice versa.
9. By any other means attempting to commit murder.
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS—Continued
SECTION
20. Not providing apprentices or servants with food, etc., whereby life
endangered.
21. Exposing children so that life endangered.
22. Causing bodily injury by explosive substance.
23. Use of explosive substance or other noxious thing, with intent to do
grievous bodily harm.
24. Attempt to blow up buildings, etc.
25. Setting spring-guns, man-traps, etc.
Traps for vermin.
Protection of dwelling house.
26. Drivers of vehicles injuring persons by furious driving.
ASSAULTS
27. Obstructing or assaulting a religious official in the discharge of his duties.
28. Assaults on persons saving shipwrecked property.
29. Assault on peace officers, etc.
30. Assault occasioning bodily harm.
Common assault.
HARASSMENT
30A. Harassment.
30B. Putting a person in fear of violence.
30C. Defence.
30D. Orders for protection and compensation.
}
30E. Award of compensation.
30F. Further Order.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
}
Offences Against the Person Chap. 11:08 5
MINISTRY OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND LEGAL AFFAIRS www.legalaffairs.gov.tt
SECTION
51.
to. (Repealed by Act No. 27 of 1986).
53.
CHILD STEALING
54. Child stealing.
Fathers taking their illegitimate children.
BIGAMY
55. Bigamy.
}
57. Procuring drugs, etc., to cause abortion.
SCHEDULE.
APPENDIX.
CHAPTER 11:08
Short title. 1. This Act may be cited as the Offences Against the
Person Act.
Rule of 3. Any person who commits any act or acts which if done or
committed in England would amount to or constitute the offence
Construction.
Application of
of murder, manslaughter, buggery or rape, shall be deemed guilty
law of England.
*HOMICIDE
Murder. 4. Every person convicted of murder shall suffer death.
[45 of 1979].
Diminished 4A. (1) Where a person kills or is a party to the killing of another,
he shall not be convicted of murder if he was suffering from such
responsibility.
[19 of 1985].
abnormality of mind (whether arising from a condition of arrested or
retarded development of mind or any inherent causes or induced by
disease or injury) as substantially impaired his mental responsibility
for his acts and omissions in doing or being a party to the killing.
(2) On a charge of murder, it shall be for the defence to
prove that the person charged is by virtue of this section not liable
to be convicted of murder.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
the sea, or at any place out of Trinidad and Tobago, every offence
committed in respect of any such case, whether the same amounts
to the offence of murder or of manslaughter, may be dealt with,
enquired of, tried, determined and punished in Trinidad and
Tobago in the same manner in all respects as if the offence had
been wholly committed in Trinidad and Tobago.
12. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously by any means Shooting or
whatsoever wounds or causes any grievous bodily harm to any
wounding with
intent to do
person, or shoots at any person with intent to do some grievous grievous bodily
harm.
bodily harm to any person, or with intent to resist or prevent the [45 of 1979].
What shall 13. Any gun, pistol, or other arm which is loaded in the
barrel with gunpowder or any other explosive substance, and any
constitute
loaded arms.
ball, shot, slug or other destructive material shall be deemed to be
loaded arms within the meaning of this Act; although the attempt
to discharge the same may fail from want of proper priming or
from any other cause.
Inflicting injury 14. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously wounds or
inflicts any grievous bodily harm upon any other person either
with or without
weapon.
with or without any weapon or instrument is liable to
imprisonment for five years.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
19. If, upon the trial of any person for an offence under On indictment
section 17, the jury are not satisfied that such person is guilty of
under section 17
jury may find
that offence but are satisfied that he is guilty of an offence under verdict under
section 18, then and in every such case the jury may acquit the
section 18.
accused of the offence under section 17 and find him guilty of the
offence under section 18 and thereupon he shall be liable to be
punished in the same manner as if convicted upon an indictment
for the offence under section 18.
20. Any person legally liable, either as a master or mistress, Not providing
to provide for an apprentice or servant, necessary food, clothing or
apprentices or
servants with
lodging, who wilfully and without lawful excuse refuses or food, etc.,
whereby life
neglects to provide the same, or who unlawfully and maliciously endangered.
22. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously, by the Causing bodily
explosion of gunpowder or other explosive substance, burns,
injury by
explosive
maims, disfigures, disables or does any grievous bodily harm substance.
23. Any person who unlawfully and maliciously causes any Use of
gunpowder or other explosive substance to explode, or sends or
explosive
substance or
delivers to, or causes to be taken or received by, any person any
other noxious
thing, with
gunpowder or other explosive substance, or any other dangerous intent to do
grievous bodily
or noxious thing, or puts or lays at any place, or casts or throws harm.
Setting 25. (1) Any person who sets or places, or causes to be set or
placed any spring-gun, man-trap or other engine calculated to
spring-guns,
man-traps, etc.
destroy human life or inflict grievous bodily harm, with the intent
that the same or whereby the same may destroy or inflict grievous
bodily harm upon a trespasser or other person coming in contact
therewith, is liable to imprisonment for five years.
(2) Any person who knowingly and wilfully permits any
such spring-gun, man-trap or other engine which may have been
set or placed in any place then being in or afterwards, coming
into his possession or occupation by some other person to
continue so set or placed, shall be deemed to have set and placed
the gun, trap, or engine with the intent as mentioned above.
Traps for (3) Nothing contained in this section shall extend to make
it illegal to set or place any gun or trap, such as may have been or
vermin.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
26. (1) Any person, having the charge of any vehicle, who, Drivers of
by wanton or furious driving, or other wilful misconduct, or by
vehicles
injuring
wilful neglect, does or causes to be done any bodily harm to any
persons by
furious driving.
person whatsoever, is liable to imprisonment for four years.
(2) In this section, the expression “vehicle” includes a
carriage, hackney carriage, motor car, motor cab, motor van,
motor lorry, motor omnibus, motorcycle, tramcar, cart,
agricultural cart, hand cart, tricycle and bicycle.
ASSAULTS
27. Any person who— Obstructing or
assaulting a
(a) by threats or force, obstructs or prevents, or religious official
28. Any person who assaults and strikes or wounds any Assaults on
Magistrate, officer or other person whatsoever lawfully
persons saving
shipwrecked
authorised, in or on account of the exercise of his duty, in or
property.
Assault on 29. Any person who assaults, resists or wilfully obstructs any
peace officers,
Magistrate, Justice, constable, peace officer or revenue officer in
the due execution of his duty, or any person acting in aid of the
etc.
[45 of 1979].
Magistrate, Justice, constable, peace officer, or revenue officer,
or assaults any person with intent to resist or prevent the lawful
apprehension or detainer of himself or of any other person for any
offence, is liable to imprisonment for four years.
Assault 30. Any person who is convicted upon an indictment of any
assault occasioning actual bodily harm is liable to imprisonment
occasioning
bodily harm.
for five years; and any person who is convicted upon an
Common indictment for a common assault is liable to a fine of four
assault.
thousand dollars and to imprisonment for two years.
HARASSMENT
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
30B. (1) A person who is accused of conduct which would Putting a person
constitute an offence under section 30A and which causes the in fear of
violence.
other person to fear that violence will be used against him, and [11 of 2005].
the person whose course of conduct is in question knows or ought
to know that his conduct will cause the other person so to fear,
commits an offence and is liable on conviction on indictment to
a fine of ten thousand dollars and to imprisonment for five years
or, on summary conviction, to a fine of five thousand dollars and
to imprisonment for six months.
(2) For the purpose of this section, the person whose
course of conduct is in question is deemed to know that it will
cause another person to fear that violence will be used against
him if a reasonable person in possession of the same
information would think the course of conduct would cause the
other person so to fear.
(3) If on trial on indictment, a person charged with an
offence under this section is found not guilty, the Court may find
him guilty of an offence under section 30A.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
}
Further Order.
made under section 30D, the Court may, where the
[11 of 2005].
any other person having the lawful care or charge of her, is liable
to imprisonment for two years.
50. (1) Upon the conviction of the tenant, lessee, or occupier Determination
of any premises, of knowingly permitting the premises, or any
of tenancy of
premises on
part thereof, to be used as a brothel, the landlord or lessor is conviction for
}
his rights under the foregoing provisions of this section, and any
offence as mentioned above committed during the subsistence of
the subsequent lease or contract shall be deemed, for the purposes
of this section, to have been committed during the subsistence of
the previous lease or contract.
51.
to (Repealed by Act No. 27 of 1986).
53.
CHILD STEALING
Child stealing. 54. Any person who unlawfully, either by force or fraud,
leads or takes away, or decoys or entices away or detains, any
child under the age of ten years, with intent to deprive any parent
or guardian, or other person having the lawful care or charge of
the child, of the possession of the child, or with intent to steal any
article upon or about the person of the child, to whomsoever the
article may belong, and any person who with any such intent,
receives or harbours any such child, knowing the same to have
been, by force or fraud, led, taken, decoyed, enticed away, or
detained as mentioned in this section is liable to imprisonment for
Fathers taking five years; but no person who claims to be the father of, or to have
any right of possession of, an illegitimate child is liable to be
their
illegitimate
prosecuted by virtue hereof on account of the getting possession
children.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
BIGAMY
55. (1) Any person who being married, marries any other Bigamy.
person during the lifetime of the former husband or wife,
whether the second marriage has taken place in Trinidad and
Tobago or elsewhere, is liable to imprisonment for four years.
(2) Nothing contained in this section shall extend to
any person marrying a second time whose husband or wife has
been continually absent from such person for the space of seven
years then last past, and has not been known by such person to
be living within that time, or shall extend to any person who, at
the time of the second marriage has been divorced from the
bond of the first marriage, or to any person whose former
marriage has been declared void by the sentence of any Court of
competent jurisdiction.
57. Any person who unlawfully supplies or procures any Procuring drugs,
poison or other noxious thing, or any instrument or thing etc., to cause
abortion.
whatsoever, knowing that the same is intended to be unlawfully
used or employed with intent to procure the miscarriage of any
woman, whether she is or is not with child, is liable to
imprisonment for two years.
the child died before, at, or after its birth, endeavours to conceal
}
been born within twelve months before its death, and that such
person did, by some secret disposition of the dead body of the
child endeavour to conceal its birth, and thereupon the Court
may pass such sentence as if the person had been convicted upon
(Vide Ch. 4, an indictment for the concealment of the birth.*
No. 3, s. 65.)
59.
to (Repealed by Act No. 27 of 1986).
61.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
SCHEDULE
Section 30D(3).
FORM 1
OFFENCES AGAINST THE PERSON ACT, CHAP. 11:08
PROTECTION ORDER
…………………………………………………………………………………
(Name of Defendant)
towards……………………………………......………………………………
(Name of person to be protected)
NOW THIS COURT ORDERS, that for the period from the …....................………
You ………………………………………….
(Name of Defendant)
AND YOU SHALL COMPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING PROHIBITIONS AND CONDITIONS:
fail to comply with any of the terms of this Order you shall be liable on
summary conviction to imprisonment for six months pursuant to
section 30D(5) of the above-mentioned Act.
………………………………........……
Justice or Clerk of the Peace of the
Magistrate’s Court for the District
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
COMPENSATION ORDER
…………………………………………………………………………………
(Name of Defendant)
towards ……………………………………..................................................…
(Name of person to be compensated)
………………………………........……
Justice or Clerk of the Peace of the
Magistrate’s Court for the District
Between
...........…….........……………………………..… Defendant
………………………………………………..……………………… on the
(Name of person against whom the Order was made)
………………………………………………………………………………..
(Name of person who is protected by the Order)
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
I ask for a discharge of the Order/variation of the Order in the following terms:
………………………………………….
Applicant
does this day Order that the Protection Order be discharged with
………………………………........……
Justice or Clerk of the Peace of the
Magistrate’s Court for the District
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
APPENDIX
An Act to amend the Offences Against the Person Act, Ch. 11:08.
Short title and 1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Offences Against the
Commencement.
Person (Amendment) Act, 2000.
(2) This Act shall come into operation on such date as
the President may appoint by Proclamation.
Section 3 of the 2. Section 3 of the Offences Against the Person Act
(hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) is renumbered as section (1),
Act amended
Ch. 11:08.
and the following new subsection (2) is added thereto:
“ (2) Notwithstanding anything in subsection (1), a
person shall suffer death if he is convicted of murder 1.”.
Sections 4D, 3. The Act is amended by inserting after section 4C the
following new sections:
4E, 4F, 4G, 4H,
4I, and 4J
4D. Murder 1 is the category of the offence
inserted.
“Murder 1.
of murder as may be determined under section
4J which is not reduced to manslaughter or
which is not required to be punished as
manslaughter under any written law and
consists of the offences specified in section 4E.
Categories of 4E. (1) Subject to subsection (2), murder
committed in the following circumstances is
Murder 1.
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
UNOFFICIAL VERSION
5. The Criminal Law Act is amended by substituting for the Ch. 10:04
word “murder” occurring in section 2A the words “murder 1”.
amended.