PART II

Police Functions

Police liberation

Liberation by police
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1
Where a person has been arrested and charged with an offence which may be tried summarily, the officer in charge of a police station may—
a
liberate him upon a written undertaking, signed by him and certified by the officer, in terms of which the person undertakes to appear at a specified court at a specified time; or
b
liberate him without any such undertaking; or
c
refuse to liberate him.
2
A person in breach of an undertaking given by him under subsection (1) above without reasonable excuse shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to the following penalties—
a
a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale; and
b
imprisonment for a period—
i
where conviction is in the district court, not exceeding 60 days; or
ii
where conviction is in the sheriff court, not exceeding 3 months.
3
The refusal of the officer in charge to liberate a person under subsection (1)(c) above and the detention of that person until his case is tried in the usual form shall not subject the officer to any claim whatsoever.
4
The penalties provided for in subsection (2) above may be imposed in addition to any other penalty which it is competent for the court to impose, notwithstanding that the total of penalties imposed may exceed the maximum penalty which it is competent to impose in respect of the original offence.
5
In any proceedings relating to an offence under this section, a writing, purporting to be such an undertaking as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above and bearing to be signed and certified, shall be sufficient evidence of the terms of the undertaking given by the arrested person.