The Montserrat Constitution Order 1989

Protection from arbitrary arrest or detention.

56.—(1) No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may be authorised by law in any of the following cases—

(a) in execution of the sentence or order of a court, whether established for Montserrat or some other country, in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted or in consequence of his unfitness to plead to a criminal charge;

(b) in execution of the order of a court punishing him for contempt of that court or of another court or tribunal;

(c) in execution of the order of a court made in order to secure the fulfilment of any obligation imposed upon him by law;

(d) for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court;

(e) upon reasonable suspicion that he has committed, is committing or is about to commit a criminal offence;

(f) in the case of a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, under the order of a court or with the consent of his parent or guardian, for the purpose of his education or welfare;

(g) for the purpose of preventing the spread of an infectious or contagious disease or in the case of a person who is, or is reasonably suspected to be, of unsound mind, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or a vagrant, for the purpose of his care or treatment or the protection of the community;

(h) for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of that person into Montserrat or for the purpose of effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal from Montserrat of that person or the taking of proceedings relating thereto;

(2) Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable, in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest or detention.

(3) Any person who is arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in subsection (1)(d) or (e) of this section and who is not released shall be brought without undue delay before a court; and if any person arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in subsection (1)(e) of this section is not tried within a reasonable time he shall (without prejudice to any further proceedings, that may be brought against him) be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions, including in particular such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears at a later date for trial or for proceedings preliminary to trial.

(4) Any person who is unlawfully arrested or detained by any other person shall be entitled to compensation therefor from that other person.