ss 18–20 CONSTITUTION OF ZIMBABWE (12) Notwithstanding anything contained in subsection (4), (10) or (11), if in any proceedings before such court or other adjudicating authority as is referred to in subsection (2) or (9), including any proceedings by virtue of section 24, a certificate in writing is produced to the court or other authority signed by a Minister that it would not be in the public interest for any matter to be publicly disclosed, the court or other authority shall make arrangements for evidence relating to that matter to be heard in camera and shall take such other action as may be necessary or expedient to prevent the disclosure of that matter. 19 Protection of freedom of conscience (13) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be in contravention of— (a) subsection (2), (3) (e) or (9) to the extent that the law in question makes reasonable provision relating to the grounds of privilege or public policy on which evidence shall not be disclosed or witnesses are not competent or cannot be compelled to give evidence in any proceedings; (b) subsection (3) (a) to the extent that the law in question imposes upon any person charged with a criminal offence the burden of proving particular facts; (c) subsection (3) (e) to the extent that the law in question imposes reasonable conditions which must be satisfied if witnesses called to testify on behalf of an accused person are to be paid their expenses out of public funds; (d) subsection (6) to the extent that the law in question authorizes a court to try a member of a disciplined force for a criminal offence notwithstanding any trial and conviction or acquittal of that member under the appropriate disciplinary law, so, however, that any court so trying such a member and convicting him shall in sentencing him to any punishment take into account any punishment awarded him under that disciplinary law; or (e) subsection (8) to the extent that the law in question authorizes a court, where the person who is being tried refuses without just cause to answer any question put to him, to draw such inferences from that refusal as are proper and to treat that refusal, on the basis of such inferences, as evidence corroborating any other evidence given against that person. (14) In the case of a person who is held in lawful detention, the provisions of subsection (2) shall not apply in relation to his trial for a criminal offence under the law regulating the discipline of persons held in such detention, save that the case of such person shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time, and the person or authority conducting the trial shall be regarded as a court for the purposes of this section. (15) For the purposes of this section, a local court shall not be regarded as not being an independent and impartial court by reason of— (a) the fact that a member of the court has an interest in the proceedings because of his position in the tribal society; or (b) the traditional or customary tribal practices and procedures. (1) Except with his own consent or by way of parental discipline, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience, that is to say, freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, whether alone or in community with 22