MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES ACT (as amended)
DISTRIBUTED BY VERITAS
VERITAS MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THE PROVISION OF RELIABLE INFORMATION,
BUT CANNOT TAKE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION SUPPLIED.
CHAPTER 9:15
MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES ACT
Acts 18/1964, 54/1971, 24/1972, 29/1975, 22/1976 (s. 87), 42/1976 (s. 6), 31/1978 (s. 23),
32/1979 (s. 3), 12/1986 (s. 4), 6/1992, 22/2001 (s. 4)1, 1/20022; R.G.N.s 386/1964, 217/1970.
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Short title.
Interpretation.
Certain conduct punishable.
Penalty for loitering for purpose of prostitution.
Penalty for certain offences.
Penalty for certain other offences.
Penalty for riotous or indecent conduct or threats, etc.
Penalty for sale, etc. of certain types of knives.
Wearing and possession of camouflage uniforms.
Use of boat and interference therewith without owner’s consent.
Penalty for false statement to police officer or constabulary member of the Police Force.
Offences in connection with possession or acquisition of goods.
When police officer or constabulary member deemed to be acting in execution of duty.
AN ACT to provide for the suppression and punishment of certain offences.
[Date of commencement: 8th May, 1964.]
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Short title
This Act may be cited as the Miscellaneous Offences
Act [Chapter 9:15].
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Certain conduct punishable
(1) In subsection (2)—
“appropriate authority” means—
(a)
in the case of a public place situated within the
area under the jurisdiction of a municipal council
or town council, such municipal council or town
council, as the case may be;
(b)
in the case of a public place situated within a local
government area, the local board;
(c)
in the case of a public place situated within the
area under the jurisdiction of a rural district council, such rural district council;
(d) in the case of a public place situated within any
area not mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c), the
person or body of persons having the control or the
management of such area or, if there is no such
person or body of persons, the district
administrator.
(2) Any person who—
(a)
appears in any public place without wearing such
articles of clothing as decency, custom or the circumstances require; or
(b)
wantonly or mischievously—
(i) rings any bell; or
(ii) makes any noise or disturbance or plays any
musical instrument or wireless in a public
place; or
(iii) knocks at doors; or
(iv) throws any missile or uses a catapult in a
public place; or
(v) removes any property from any place; or
(vi) dislodges or disfigures any property; or
(vii) gives a false alarm of fire; or
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Interpretation
In this Act—
“boat” includes any description of water craft used or
capable of being used as a means of transportation on
water except such craft as are exempted from this
definition by the Minister by notice in a statutory instrument;
"constabulary member of the Police Force" means a
member of the Police Constabulary established in terms
of section 27 of the Police Act [Chapter 11:10];3
“inland waters” means any lake, dam, river or water
which is declared by the Minister, by notice in a statutory
instrument, to be inland waters for the purposes of this
Act;
“night” means the period between sunset and sunrise;
“public place” includes any—
(a)
road, street, thoroughfare, lane, footpath or bridge
to which the public has access;
(b)
building, part of a building, police station, police
camp, stream, river, lake, dam, swimming pool,
garden, park, race course, open space, open air
theatre, drive-in theatre, aerodrome, sports ground,
recreation ground, show ground, parade ground or
other ground, whether enclosed or not, to which
the public or any section of the public has access or
is permitted to have access, whether on payment or
otherwise and whether or not the right of admission thereto is reserved.
Revised 1st March 2004
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