Criminal
Criminal Code of French origin with English procedure and no death penalty
The Criminal Code derives from the French code but is applied through English-style adversarial procedure with the Director of Public Prosecutions conducting prosecutions. The death penalty was abolished in 1995. The Supreme Court held the sodomy provision unconstitutional in 2023.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — District and Intermediate Courts try most offences; the Assizes hear the gravest; appeals to the Court of Criminal Appeal and the Privy Council.
- Deadline — Detained person brought before a magistrate promptly, generally within 48 hours
Governing law
- Criminal Code 1838of French origin, as amended
- Criminal Procedure Act 1853
- Abolition of Death Penalty Act 1995
- Dangerous Drugs Act 2000
In practice
The combination is unusual: offences defined in a code of French ancestry, tried under English procedure with an independent DPP, and appealable ultimately to London. Drug offences dominate the serious-crime docket.