Magistrates' Courts Amendment Act, 1991

Act 118 of 1991

Magistrates' Courts Amendment Act, 1991

Loading PDF...

This document is 1.2 MB. Do you want to load it?

Error loading PDF
Try reloading the page or downloading the PDF.
Error:
▲ To the top

History of this document

10 July 1991 this version
Published in Government Gazette 13363
27 June 1991
Assented to

Cited documents 0

Documents citing this one 5

Judgment
2
Failure to personally canvass the accused's waiver of assessors in a murder trial constituted a fatal irregularity, vitiating proceedings.
Criminal procedure – Assessors – Section 93 ter (1) of the Magistrates' Court Act 32 of 1944 – Requirement for appointment or explicit waiver by accused in murder trials – Failure to confirm waiver personally with accused vitiates proceedings – Fair trial rights – Irregularity leads to setting aside of conviction and sentence.
Attempted murder is not a competent verdict to robbery; conviction replaced with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and sentenced to four years.
Criminal procedure – review under s304(4) – conviction of an incompetent verdict (attempted murder on robbery charge) is a gross irregularity; s260 CPA – competent verdicts to robbery; s93ter MCA – assessors discretionary, not peremptory except for murder; sentencing afresh by appellate/review court; s103 Firearms Control Act – automatic declaration of unfitness; s282 CPA – antedating of sentence.