Criminal
Penal Code offences with English procedure, no death penalty, and piracy jurisdiction
The Penal Code (Cap 158) is English-derived, applied through adversarial procedure under the Criminal Procedure Code. The death penalty was abolished by the 1993 Constitution. Seychelles took universal jurisdiction over Somali piracy in the 2010s, prosecuting and imprisoning suspects transferred by naval forces.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — The Magistrates' Court tries summary offences; the Supreme Court hears indictable matters; the Court of Appeal is final.
- Deadline — Detained person brought before a court within 24 hours
Governing law
- Penal CodeCap 158
- Criminal Procedure CodeCap 54
- Constitution art 15 — right to life; no death penalty
- Misuse of Drugs Act 2016
In practice
Seychelles' piracy prosecutions are the notable feature: a microstate assumed universal jurisdiction and built dedicated court and prison capacity with international support, producing one of the largest bodies of modern piracy case law anywhere.