Page:Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 2007.pdf/49

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96 No. 30599
Government Gazette, 14 December 2007

Act No. 32, 2007
Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007
No. and year of law Short title Extent of repeal or amendment

the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007,

shall, unless some other period is expressly provided for by law, lapse after the expiration of a period of 20 years from the time when the offence was committed.”.


2. The amendment of section 77 by the substitution for subsection (6) of the following subsection:

“(6)(a) If the court which has jurisdiction in terms of section 75 to try the case, finds that the accused is not capable of understanding the proceedings so as to make a proper defence, the court may, if it is of the opinion that it is in the interests of the accused, taking into account the nature of the accused's incapacity contemplated in subsection (1), and unless it can be proved on a balance of probabilities that, on the limited evidence available the accused committed the act in question, order that such information or evidence be placed before the court as it deems fit so as to determine whether the accused has committed the act in question and the court shall direct that the accused—

(i)

in the case of a charge of murder or culpable homicide or rape or compelled rape as contemplated in sections 3 or 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 2007, respectively, or a charge involving serious violence or if the court considers it to be necessary in the public interest, where the court finds that the accused has committed the act in question, or any other offence involving serious violence, be detained in a psychiatric hospital or a prison pending the decision of a judge in chambers in terms of section 47 of the Mental Health Care Act, 2002; or

(ii)

where the court finds that the accused has committed an offence other than one contemplated in subparagraph (i) or that he or she has not committed any offence—

(aa)

be admitted to and detained in an institution stated in the order as if he or she were an involuntary mental health care user contemplated in section 37 of the Mental Health Care Act, 2002,
and if the court so directs after the accused has pleaded to the charge, the accused shall not be entitled under section 106(4) to be acquitted or to