Criminal
A 2010 Penal Code alongside the Special Criminal Court
The Penal Code of 2010 governs ordinary offences. Grave international crimes committed since 2003 fall to the Special Criminal Court, a hybrid national court with international personnel, while the ICC has also exercised jurisdiction over CAR situations.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Ordinary courts try ordinary offences; the Special Criminal Court tries grave international crimes; the ICC retains complementary jurisdiction.
- Deadline — Garde à vue: 72 hours
- Deadline — Special Criminal Court: jurisdiction over crimes committed since 1 January 2003
Governing law
- Loi n° 10.001 portant Code pénal centrafricain
- Loi n° 15.003 portant création de la Cour Pénale Spéciale
- Code de procédure pénale2010
In practice
The Special Criminal Court is the defining feature of Central African criminal law. It sits within the national system but includes international judges and prosecutors, and its creation in 2015 was an explicit response to the incapacity of the ordinary courts to try conflict-related crimes.