Criminal
Codified criminal law since 2004 with the death penalty abolished in 2024
The Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23) codified what had been Roman-Dutch common-law crimes, so Zimbabwe is unusual in the region for having a genuine criminal code. The Death Penalty Abolition Act 2024 abolished capital punishment and provided for resentencing of those on death row.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Magistrates' courts try most offences; the High Court hears murder; the Supreme Court is the final criminal appeal.
- Deadline — Arrested person brought before a court within 48 hours
Governing law
- Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act (Chapter 9:23), 2004
- Criminal Procedure and Evidence ActChapter 9:07
- Death Penalty Abolition Act 2024
In practice
Codification in 2004 replaced judicial development of Roman-Dutch crimes with statutory definition, which changed method as much as content: a Zimbabwean practitioner now argues from the Code's text where a Namibian or Botswanan colleague would still cite Roman-Dutch authority.