Criminal Justice Act, 1964

JurisdictionIreland
CitationIR No. 5/1964


Number 5 of 1964.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT, 1964


ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

Section

1.

Death penalty restricted.

2.

Punishment in place of death.

3.

Procedure in capital murder cases.

4.

Malice.

5.

Amendment of Offences Against the Person Act, 1861.

6.

Amendment of Piracy Act, 1837.

7.

Amendment of Juries Act, 1927.

8.

Amendment of Treason Act, 1939.

9.

Amendment of Defence Act, 1954.

10.

Amendment of Geneva Conventions Act, 1962.

11.

Short title.


Acts Referred to

Treason Act, 1939

1939, No. 10.

Offences Against the State Act, 1939

1939, No, 13.

Defence Act, 1954

1954, No. 18.

Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1940

1940, No. 2.

Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956

1956, No. 27.

Criminal Justice Act, 1960

1960, No. 27.

Offences Against the Person Act, 1861

1861, c. 100.

The Piracy Act, 1837

1837, c. 88.

Juries Act, 1927

1927, No. 23.

Geneva Conventions Act, 1962

1962, No. 11.


Number 5 of 1964.


CRIMINAL JUSTICE ACT, 1964


AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW AS TO THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY AND AS TO MALICE IN THE CASE OF MURDER. [25th March, 1964.]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—

Death penalty restricted.

1.—(1) A person shall not be liable to suffer death for any offence other than—

(a) treason under the Treason Act, 1939 ;

(b) capital murder, namely—

(i) murder of a member of the Garda Síochána acting in the course of his duty, or

(ii) murder of a prison officer acting in the course of his duty, or

(iii) murder done in the course or furtherance of an offence under section 6 , 7 , 8 or 9 of the Offences Against the State Act, 1939 , or in the course or furtherance of the activities of an unlawful organisation within the meaning of section 18 (other than paragraph (f)) of that Act, or

(iv) murder, committed within the State for a political motive, of the head of a foreign State or of a member of the government of, or a diplomatic officer of, a foreign State;

(c) an offence by a person subject to military law under section 124 , 125 , 127 or 128 of the Defence Act, 1954 .

(2) In this section—

“diplomatic officer” means an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, chargé d'affaires, counsellor or secretary of embassy or legation, or attaché;

“prison” means any institution for which rules may be made under the Prisons Acts, 1826 to 1956, any prison, internment camp or place of detention for which regulations may be made under section 7 of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1940 , any military prison or detention barrack for which rules may be made under section 233 of the Defence Act, 1954 , and any internment camp for which regulations may be made under section 2 of the Prisoners of War and Enemy Aliens Act, 1956 ;

“prison officer” includes any member of the staff of a prison or of St. Patrick's Institution and any person having the custody of, or having duties in relation to the custody of, persons detained in any such place;

“St. Patrick's Institution” means the institution referred to by that name in the Criminal Justice Act, 1960 .

Punishment in place of death.

2.—A person who but for this Act would be liable to suffer death shall be liable to penal servitude for life.

Procedure in capital murder cases.

3.—(1) Where a person is accused of murder which is alleged to be capital murder, he shall be charged with capital murder in the indictment.

(2) A person indicted for capital murder may, if the evidence does not warrant a conviction for capital murder but warrants a conviction for murder, be found not guilty of capital murder but guilty of murder and, if the evidence does not warrant a conviction for murder but warrants a conviction for manslaughter, be found not guilty of capital murder but guilty of manslaughter.

(3) Capital murder shall be treated as...

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