BELIZE CRIMINAL CODE CHAPTER 101 REVISED EDITION 2000 SHOWING THE LAW AS AT 31ST DECEMBER, 2000 This is a revised edition of the law, prepared by the Law Revision Commissioner under the authority of the Law Revision Act, Chapter 3 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 1980 - 1990. This edition contains a consolidation of the following laws- Page ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 3 CRIMINAL CODE 28 Amendments in force as at 31st December, 2000. BELIZE CRIMINAL CODE CHAPTER 101 REVISED EDITION 2000 SHOWING THE LAW AS AT 31ST DECEMBER, 2000 This is a revised edition of the law, prepared by the Law Revision Commissioner under the authority of the Law Revision Act, Chapter 3 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 1980 - 1990. This edition contains a consolidation of the following laws- Page ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 3 CRIMINAL CODE 28 Amendments in force as at 31st December, 2000. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 3 CHAPTER 101 CRIMINAL CODE ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I General Provisions TITLE I Preliminary 1. Short title. 2. Commencement of Code. 3. General rules of construction. TITLE II Interpretation and General Explanations 4. Miscellaneous definitions. Standard Tests for Questions of Criminal Liability 5. Establishment of standard tests for certain questions relating to criminal liability. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 4 CAP. 101] Criminal Code The Standard Tests and the Keywords 6. Intention. 7. Knowledge. 8. Recklessness. 9. Proof of intention, knowledge, recklessness and foresight. 10. Negligence. 11. Causing an event. 12. Consent. 13. Fraud. 14. Threats. 15. Duress. 16. Definition of "person". 17. Imprisonment with or without labour. TITLE III Attempts to Commit Crimes 18. Attempts. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 5 19. Preparation for crime. TITLE IV Abetment and Conspiracy 20. Abetment of crimes. 21. One crime abetted, another committed. 22. Duty to prevent felony. 23. Conspiracy. 24. Punishment for conspiracy. TITLE V General Exemption from Criminal Liability 25. Infancy. 26. Insanity. 27. Intoxication. 28. Ignorance or mistake of fact or of law. 29. Abolition of presumption of marital coercion. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 6 CAP. 101] Criminal Code TITLE VI Justifiable Force and Harm 30. Justification for force and harm. 31. Grounds on which force or harm may be justified. 32. General limits of justifiable force or harm. 33. Authority by statute. 34. Execution of a sentence or order of a court. 35. Authority to keep the peace or to preserve order. 36. Prevention of or defence against crime. 37. Defence of property, possession or overcoming obstruction of legal right. 38. Preserving order on board vessel. 39. Authority to correct child or other similar person. 40. Consent to the use of force. 41. Interference by third persons. 42. Additional force and harm. 43. Aid of other persons. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 7 PART II Particular Crimes TITLE VII Criminal Force to the Person 1. Assaults 44. Common assault. 45. Aggravated assault. 2. Rape and Like Crimes 46. Rape. 47. Carnal knowledge of child, girl under sixteen years and female idiot, etc. 48. Mandatory life sentence for habitual sex offenders. 49. Procuration. 50. Procuring defilement of female by threats or fraud or administration of drugs. 51. Householder permitting defilement of young females on his premises. 52. Saving as to rape. 53. Unnatural crime. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 8 CAP. 101] Criminal Code 3. Kidnapping, Abduction, Forced Marriage, Abandonment and Incest. 54. Kidnapping. 55. Child stealing. 56. Abduction. 57. Forcible abduction. 58. Compulsion of marriage. 59. Special provision as to abetment. 60. Abandonment of infant. 61. Test of relationship when incest charged. 62. Incest by males. 63. Incest by females of or over sixteen. 64. Prosecutions for incest. 65. Special provision for treatment and reporting of sex offenders. 66. Kinds of assault. 67. Definition of assault. 68. Assault without actual battery. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 9 69. Unlawful imprisonment. 70. Definition of common assault. 2. Rape and like crimes-Definitions 71. Rape defined. 72. Marital rape defined. 73. Evidence of rape, etc. 74. Avoidance of marriage. 3. Kidnapping, stealing a person and abduction-Definitions 75. Kidnapping defined. 76. Stealing a person. 77. Abduction defined. 78. Special provisions as to abduction, etc. TITLE VIII Criminal Harm to the Person 79. Intentional harm. 80. Wounding. 81. Grievous harm. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 10 CAP. 101] Criminal Code 82. Maim and dangerous harm. 83. Use of deadly means of harm. 84. Administering noxious matter. 85. Aggravation. 86. Garrotting, etc. 87. Intentionally endangering train or vessel. 88. Throwing, etc., at a train. 89. Obstructing trains. 90. Interference with signals, etc. 91. Frauds endangering trains or vessels. 92. Abandonment likely to cause grievous harm. 93. Negligent harm. 94. Negligent wound or grievous harm. 95. Negligence by persons in charge of dangerous things. Definitions and Special Provisions Relating to the Matter of this Title 96. Kinds of harm. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 11 97. Unlawful harm defined. 98. Causing harm by an omission. 99. Duty for preventing harm defined. 100. Duty to supply necessaries of health and life. 101. Explanations as to office, etc. 102. Exceptions from general provisions. 103. Surgical or medical treatment. 104. Hindering the saving of life. 105. Poison explained. TITLE IX Criminal Homicide 106. Murder. 107. Attempt to murder. 108. Manslaughter. 109. Abetment of suicide. 110. Infanticide. 111. Abortion, miscarriage and child destruction. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 12 CAP. 101] Criminal Code 112. Medical termination of pregnancy. 113. Conscientious objection to participation in treatment. 114. Injury to child at birth. 115. Concealment of body of child. Definitions and Special Provisions Relating to the Matter of this Title 116. Manslaughter defined. 117. Murder defined. 118. Diminished responsibility. 119. When intentional homicide is reduced to manslaughter. 120. Provocation defined. 121. When provocation shall not be admitted. 122. Mistake as to matter of provocation. 123. Mistake as to the person. 124. Special provisions as to causing death. 125. Special provisions as to abetment. 126. Explanation as to a child. 127. Abortion. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 13 128. Harm to a child at birth. 129. Concealment of birth. 130. Exceptions as to surgical or medical treatment. 131. Jurisdiction. TITLE X Crimes Against Rights to Property Criminal Damage to Property 132. Destroying or damaging property. 133. Threats to damage or destroy property. 134. Possessing anything with intent to destroy or damage property. 135. Punishment. 136. Without lawful excuse. 137. Meaning of property. 138. Meaning of damage. TITLE XI Criminal Misappropriations and Frauds 139. Basic definition of theft. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. 14 CAP. 101] Criminal Code 140. "Dishonestly". 141. "Appropriates". 142. Consent by a wife. 143. "Property". 144. "Belonging to another". 145. "With the intention of permanently depriving the other of it". 146. Theft. Robbery, burglary, etc. 147. Robbery. 148. Burglary. 149. Aggravated burglary. 150. Removal of articles from places open to the public. 151. Taking motor vehicle or other conveyance without authority. 152. Abstracting of electricity. 153. Obtaining property by deception. 154. Obtaining a money transfer by deception. 155. Dishonestly retaining a wrongful credit. THE SUBSTANTIVE LAWS OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2000 Printed by the Government Printer, No. 1 Power Lane, Belmopan, by the authority of []the Government of Belize. Criminal Code [CAP. 101 15 156. Obtaining pecuniary advantage by deception. 157. Obtaining services by deception. 158. Evasion of liability deception. 159. Making off without payment. 160. Punishment. 161. Supplementary. 162. False accounting. 163. Liability of company officers for certain offences by company. 164. False statement by company directors, etc. 165. Suppression, etc.,