CHAPTER
005
THE
CONSTITUTION OF THE REBUPLIC OF GHANA 1992
FUNDAMENTAL
HUMAN RIGHT AND FREEDOMS
.General
. Emergency Powers
12.
1) The fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined
in this Chapter shall be respected and upheld by the Executive,
Legislature and Judiciary and all other organs of government and
its agencies and, were applicable t them, by all natural and legal
persons in Ghana, and shall be enforceable by the Courts as provided
for in this Constitution.
(2) Every person in Ghana, whatever his race, place
of origin, political opinion, colour, religion, creed or gender
shall be entitled to the fundamental human rights and freedoms of
the individual contained in this Chapter but subject to respect
for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest.
13. (1)
No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally except in
the exercise of the execution of a sentence of a court in respect
of a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana of which he has been
convicted.
(2)
A person shall not be held to have deprived another person of his
life in contravention of clause (1) of this article if that other
person dies as the result of a lawful act of war or if that other
person dies as the result of the use of force to such an extent
as is reasonably justifiable in the particular circumstances-
(a)
for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence
of property; or
(b)
in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape
of a person lawfully detained; or
(c)
for the purposes of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny;
or
(d)
in order to prevent the commission of a crime by that person.
14. (1) Every person shall be entitled
to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal
liberty except in the following cases and in accordance with procedure
permitted by law-
(a) in execution of a sentence or order of
a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted;
or
(b) in execution of an order of a court punishing
him for contempt of court; or
(c ) for the purpose of bringing him before
a court in execution of an order of a court; or
(d) in the case of a person suffering
from an infectious or contagious disease, a person of unsound mind,
a person addicted to drugs or alcohol or a vagrant, for the purpose
of his care or treatment or the protection of the community; or
(e) for the purpose of the education
or welfare of a person who has not attained the age of eighteen
years; or
(f) for the purpose of preventing the
unlawful entry of that person into Ghana, or of effecting the expulsion,
extradition or other lawful removal of that person from Ghana or
for the purpose of restricting that person while he is being lawfully
conveyed through Ghana in the course of his extradition or removal
from one country to another; or
(g) upon reasonable suspicion of his having
committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the
laws of Ghana.
(2)
A person who is arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed
immediately; in a language that he understands, of the reasons for
his arrest, restriction or detention and of his right to a lawyer
of his choice.
(3)
A person who is arrested, restricted or detained-
(a) for the purpose of bringing him before
a court in execution of an order of a court; or
(b) upon reasonable suspicion of his having
committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the
laws of Ghana, and who is not released.
Shall be brought before a court within forty-eight
hours after the arrest, restriction or detention.
(4)
Where a person arrested, restricted or detained under paragraph
(a) or (b) of clause (3) of this article is not tried within a reasonable
time, then without prejudice to any further proceedings that may
be brought against him, he shall be released, either unconditionally
or upon reasonable conditions, including in particular, conditions
reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears at a later date for
trial or for proceedings preliminary to trial.
(5)
A person who is unlawfully arrested, restricted or detained by any
other person shall be entitled to compensation from that order person.
(6)
Where a person is convicted and sentenced to a term of imprisonment
for an offence, any period he has spent in lawful custody in respect
of that offence before the completion of his trial shall be taken
into account in imposing the term of imprisonment.
(7)
Where a person who has served the whole or a part of his sentence
is acquitted on appeal by a court, other than the Supreme Court,
the court may certify to the Supreme Court that the person acquitted
be paid compensation: and the Supreme Court may, upon examination
of all the facts and the certificate of the court concerned, award
such compensation as it may think fit; or, where the acquitted is
by the Supreme Court, it may order compensation to be aid to the
person acquitted.
15. (1)
The dignity of all persons shall be inviolable.
(2)
No person shall, whether or not he is arrested, restricted
or detained, be subjected to -
(a) torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment;
(a)
any other condition that detracts or is likely to detractfrom
his dignity and worth as a human being.
(3)
A person who has not been convicted of a criminal offence shall
not be treated as a convicted person and shall be kept separately
from convicted persons.
(4)
A juvenile offender who is kept in lawful custody or detention shall
be kept separately from an adult offender.
16. (1)
No person shall be held in slavery or servitude
(2)
No person shall be required to perform forced labour
(3)
For the purposes of this article, "forced labour"
does not
Include.-
(a)
any labour required as a result of a sentence or
(b)
any labour required of a member of a disciplined force
or service a his duties or, in the case of a person who has conscientious
objections to a service as a member of the Armed Forces of Ghana,
ay labour which that person is required by law to perform in place
of such service
(c) any labor required during any period when Ghana
is at war or in the event of an emergency or calamity that threatens
the life and well-being of the community, to the extent that the
requirement of such labour is reasonably justifiable in the circumstances
of any situation arising or existing during that period for the
purposes of dealing with the situation; or
(d) any labour reasonably required as part of normal communal
or other civic obligations.
17.
(1) All persons shall be equal before the law
2)
A person shall not be discriminated against on grounds of gender,
race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed or social or economic
status.
(3)
For the purposes of this article, "discriminate" means to give different
treatment to different persons attributable only or mainly to their
respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions,
colour, gender, occupation, religion or creed, whereby persons of
one description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to
which persons of another description which are not granted of persons
of another description are not made subject or are granted privileges
or advantages which are not granted to persons of another description.
(4)
Nothing in this article shall prevent Parliament from enacting laws
that are reasonably necessary to provide-
(a) for the implementation of policies
and programmes aimed at redressing social, economic or educational
imbalance in the Ghanaian society.;
(b) for matters relating to adoption, marriage
divorce, burial devolution of property on death or other matters
of personal law;
(c) for the imposition of restrictions on the
acquisitions of land by persons who are not citizens of Ghana or
on the political and economic activities of such persons and for
other matters relating to such persons; or
(d) for making different provision for
different communities having regard to their special circumstances
not being provision which is inconsistent with the spirit of this
Constitution.
(5)
Nothing shall be taken to be inconsistent with this article which
is allowed to be done under any provision of this Chapter
18. (1)
Every person has the right to own property either alone or
in association with others.
(2)
No person shall be subjected to interference with the privacy of
his home, property, correspondence or communication except in accordance
with law and as may be necessary in a free and democratic society
for public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for
the protection of the rights or freedoms of others
19.
(1) A person charged with a criminal offence shall be
given a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a court.
(2)
A person charged with a criminal offence shall-
(a) in the case of an offence other than high
treason or treason, the punishment for which is death or imprisonment
for life, be tried by a judge and jury and -
(i) where the punishment is death, the verdict
of the jury
shall be by such majority as Parliament may by law prescribe.
(ii) in case of life imprisonment, the verdict
of the jury
shall be by such majority as Parliament may by law prescribe;
(b) in the case of an offence triable by a
Regional Tribunal the
penalty for which is death, the decision of the Chairman and the
other panel members shall be unanimous;
(c)
be presumed to be innocent until he is proved or has pleaded
guilty;
(d)
be informed immediately in a language he understands, and
in detail; of the nature of the offence charged;
(e) be given adequate time and facilities for
the preparation of his defence;
(f) be permitted to defend himself before the
court in person by a lawyer of his choice;
(g) be afforded facilities to examine, in person
or by his lawyer, the witnesses called by the prosecution before
the court, and to obtain the attendance and carry out the
examination of witnesses to testify on the same conditions as those
applicable to witnesses called by the prosecution.
(h) be permitted to have, without payment by him,
the assistance
of an interpreter where he cannot understand the language used at
the trial; and
(i)
in the case of the offence of high treason or treason, be tried
by the High Court duly constituted by three Justices of that Court
and the decision of the Justices shall be unanimous.
(3)
The trial of a person charged with a criminal offence shall take
place in his presence unless-
(a) he refuses to appear before the court
for the trial to be conducted
in his presence after he has been duly notified of the trial' or
(a)
he conducts himself in such a manner as to render the continuation
of the proceedings in his presence impracticable and the court order
him to be removed for the trial to proceed in his absence.
(4)
Whenever a person is tried for a criminal offence the accused person
or a person authorized by him shall, if he so requires, be given,
within a reasonable time not exceeding six months after judgment,
a copy of any record of the accused person.
(5)
A person shall not be charged with or held to be guilty of a criminal
offence which is founded on an act or omission that did not at the
time it took place constitute an offence.
(6)
No penalty shall be imposed for a criminal offence that is
severer
in degree or description than the maximum penalty that could have
been imposed for that offence at the time when it was committed.
(7)
No person who shows that he has been tried by a competent court
for a criminal offence and either convicted or acquitted, shall
again be tried for that offence or for any other criminal
offence of which he could have been convicted at the trial
for the offence, except
on the order of a superior court in court in the course of appeal
or review proceedings relating to the conviction or acquittal.
(8)
Notwithstanding clause (7) of this article, an acquittal of a person
on a trial for high treason shall not be a bar to the institution
of proceedings for any other offence against that person.
(9)
Paragraphs (a) and (b) of clause (2) of this article shall not apply
in the case of a trial by a court martial or other military tribunal.
(10) No person who is tried for a criminal offence
shall be compelled to give evidence at the trial.
(11)
No person shall be convicted of a criminal offence unless the defined
and the penalty for it is prescribed in a written law.
(12)
Clause (11) of this article shall not prevent a Superior court from
punishing a person for contempt of itself notwithstanding that the
act or omission constituting the contempt is not defined in
a written law and the penalty is not so prescribed.
(13)
An adjudicating authority for the determination of the existence
or extent of a civil right or obligation shall, subject to the provisions
of this Constitution, be established by law and shall be independent
and impartial; and where proceedings for determination re
instituted by a person before such as adjudicating authority,
the case shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time.
(14)
Except as may be otherwise ordered by the adjudicating authority
in the interest of public morality, public safety, or public order
the proceedings of any such adjudicating authority shall be
in public.
(15)
Nothing in this article shall prevent an adjudicating authority
from excluding from the proceedings persons, other than the
parties to the proceedings and their lawyers, such as extent as
the authority-
(a) may consider necessary or expedient in circumstances where
publicity would prejudice the interest of justice; or
(b) may be empowered by law to do in the interest of defence,
public safety, public order, public morality, the welfare of persons
under the age of eighteen or the protection of the private lives
of persons concerned in the proceedings.
(16)
Nothing in, or done under the authority of , any law shall be held
to be inconsistent with or in contravention of, the following provisions-
(a) paragraph (c) of clause (2) of this article, to the extent
that
the law in question imposes upon a person charged with a criminal
offence, the burden of providing particular facts; or
(b) clause (7) of this article, to the extent that the law
in question authorizes a court to try a member of disciplined
force
for a criminal offence notwithstanding any trial and conviction
or acquittal of that member under the disciplinary law of the force,
except that any court which tries that member and convicts him shall,
in sentencing him to any punishment, take into account any punishment
imposed on him under that disciplinary law.
17.
Subject to clause (18) of this article, treason shall consist only-
(a) in levying war against Ghana or assisting any state
or person
or inciting or conspiring with any person to levy war against Ghana;
or
(b) in attempting by force of arms or other violent means
to overthrow the organs of government established by or under
this Constitution; or
(c) in taking part or being concerned in or inciting or conspiring
with any person to make or take part or be concerned in, any such
attempt.
18.
An act which aims at procuring by constitutional means an alteration
of the law or of the policies of the Government shall not be considered
as an act calculated to overthrow the organs of government.
FUNDAMENTAL
HUMAN RIGHT AND FREEDOMS
19.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, but subject
to clause (20) of this article, Parliament may, by or under an Act
of Parliament, established military courts or tribunals for the
trial of offences against military law committed by persons subject
to military law.
20.
Where a person subject to military law, who is not in active service,
commits an offence which Is within the jurisdiction of a civil court,
he shall not be tried by a court-martial or military of a court-martial
or other military tribunal under any law for the enforcement
of military discipline.
21.
For the purposes of this article, "criminal offence" means a criminal
offence under the laws of Ghana.
20
(1)
No property of any description, or interest in or right over any
property
shall be compulsorily taken possession of or acquired by the State
unless the following conditions are satisfied-
(a)
the taking of possession or acquisition is necessary in the
interest of defence, public safety public under, public morality,
public health, town and country planning
(b)
the necessity for the acquisition is clearly stated and is such
as to provide reasonable justification for causing any hardship
that may result to any person who has interest in or right over
the property
(2)
Compulsory acquisition of property by the State shall only be made under a law which makes provision for -
(a)
the prompt payment of fair and adequate compensation ; and
(b)
a right of access to the High Court by any person who has a interest
in or right over the property whether direct or on appeal from any
other authority, for the determination of his interest or right
and the amount of compensation to which he is entitled.
(3)
Where a compulsory acquisition or possession of land effected by
the State in accordance with class (1) of this article involves
displacement of any inhabitants, the State shall resettle the displaced
inhabitants on suitable alternative land with due regard for their
economic well-being and social and cultural values.
(4)
Nothing in this article shall be construed as affecting the operation
of any general law so far as it provides for the taking of possession
of acquisition of property-
(a)
by way of vesting or administration of trust property, enemy property
or the property of persons adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt
or insolvent, persons of unsound mind, deceased persons or bodies
corporate or un-incorportated in the course o being wound up; or
(b)
in the execution of a judgment or order of a court; or
21
(c)
by reason of its being in a dangerous state or injurious to the
health of human being, animals or plants; or
(d) in consequence of any law with respect to the limitation
of actions; or
(e) for so long as may be necessary for
the carrying out of work on any land for the purpose of the provision
of public facilities or utilities, except that where any damage
results from any such work there shall be paid appropriate compensation.
(5) Any property compulsorily taken possession
of or acquired in the
public interest or for a public purpose shall be used only in the
public interest or for the public purpose for which it was acquired.
(6)
Where the property is not used in the public interest or for the
purpose for which it was acquired, the owner of the property immediately
before the compulsory acquisition, shall be given the first option
for acquiring the property and shall, on such re-acquisition refund
the whole or part of the compensation paid to him as provided for
by law or such other amount as is commensurate with the value of
the property at the same time of the re-acquisition.
(1) All persons shall have the right
to-
(a) freedom of speech and expression,
which shall include freedom of the press and other media;
(b) freedom of thought, conscience and
belief, which shall include academic freedom;
(c) freedom to practise any religion
and to manifest such practice;
(d) freedom of assembly including freedom
to take part in processions
and demonstrations.
(e) freedom of association, which shall
include freedom to form or join trade unions or other associations,
national and international, for the protection of their interest;
(f) information, subject to such qualifications
and laws as are necessary in a democratic society;
(g) freedom of movement which means the
right to move freely in Ghana, the right to leave and to enter Ghana
and immunity from expulsion from Ghana. (2)
A restriction on a person's freedom of movement by his lawful detention
shall not be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of
this article.
(3) All citizens shall have the right and freedom to
form or join political parties and to participate in political activities
subject to such qualifications and law as are necessary in a free
and democratic society and are consistent with this Constitution.
(4) Nothing in, or done under the authority of, a law
shall be held to be inconsistent with, or in contravention of, this
article to the extent that the law in question makes provision-
(a) for the imposition of restrictions by order of a
court, that are required in the interest of defence, public safety
or public order, on the movement or residence within Ghana of any
person; or
(b) for the imposition of restrictions, by order of
a court, on the movement or residence within Ghana of any person
either as a result of his having been found guilty of a criminal
offence under the laws of Ghana or for the purposes of ensuring
that he appears before a court at a later date for trial for a criminal
offence or for proceedings relating to his extradition or lawful
removal from Ghana;or
(c) for the imposition of restrictions that are reasonably
required in the interest of defence, public safety, public health
or the running of essential services, on the movement or residence
within Ghana of any person or persons generally, or any class or
persons;or
(d) for the imposition of restrictions on the freedom
of entry into Ghana, or of movement in Ghana, of a person who is
not a citizen of Ghana; or
(e) that is reasonably required for the purpose of safeguarding
the people of Ghana against the teaching or propagation of a doctrine
which exhibits or encourages disrespect for the nationhood of Ghana,
the national symbols and emblems, or incites hatred against other
members of the community;
except so far as that provision or as th case may
be, the thing done under the authority of that law is shown not
to be reasonably justifiable in terms of the spirit of this Constitution.
(5)
Whenever a person, whose freedom of movement has been restricted
by the order of a court under paragraph (a) of clause (4) of this
article, request at any time during the period of that restriction
not earlier than seven days after the order was made, or three months
after he last made such request, as the case may be, his case shall
be reviewed by that Court.
(6)
On a review by a court under clause (5) of this article, the court
may, subject to the right of appeal from its decision, make such
order for the continuation or termination of the restriction as
it considers necessary or expedient.
22(1)
A spouse shall not be deprived of a reasonable provision out of the
estate of a spouse whether or not the spouse died having made
a will. (2)
Parliament shall, as soon as practicable after the coming into force
of this Constitution, enact legislation regulating the property
rights of spouses.
23242526272829
(3)
With a view to achieving the full realization of the rights referred
to in clause (2) of this article-
(a) spouses shall have equal access to property jointly
acquired during marriage;
(b) assets which are jointly acquired during marriage
shall be distributed equitably between the spouses upon dissolution
of the marriage
Administrative bodies and administrative officials shall
act fairly and reasonably and comply with the requirements imposed
on them by law and persons aggrieved by the exercise of such acts
and decisions shall have the right to seek redress before a court
or other tribunal.
(1) Every person has the right to work under
satisfactory, safe and healthy conditions, and shall receive equal
pay for equal work without distinction of any kind.
(2) Every worker shall be assured of rest, leisure
and reasonable limitation of working hours and periods of holidays
with pay, as well as remuneration for public holidays.
(3) Every worker has a right to form or join
a trade union of his choice for the promotion and protection of
his economic and social interests.
(4) Restrictions shall not be placed on the exercise
of the right conferred by clause (3) of this article except restrictions
prescribed by law and reasonably necessary in the interest of national
security or public order or for the protection of the rights and
freedom of others.
(1) All persons shall have the right to equal
educational opportunities and facilities and with a view to achieving
the full realization of that right-
(a) basic education shall be free, compulsory
an available to all;
(b) secondary education in its different forms,
including technical and vocational education, shall be made generally
available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and
in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education;
(c) high education shall be made equally accessible
to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and
in particular, by the progressive introduction of free education;
(d) functional literacy shall be encouraged or intensified
as far as possible.
(e) the development of a system of schools with
adequate facilities at all levels shall be actively pursued.
(2) Every person shall have the right, at his
own expense, to establish an maintain a private school or schools
at all levels and of such categories and in accordance with such
conditions as may be provided by law.
(1) Every person is entiled to enjoyed, practise,
profess, maintain and promote any culture, language, tradition or
religion subject to the provisions of this Constitution.
(2) All customary practices which dehumanize
or are injurious to the physical and mental well-being of a person
are prohibited.
(1) Special care shall be accorded to mothers
during a reasonable period before and after child-birth; and during
those periods working mothers shall be accorded paid leave. (2)
Facilities shall be provided for the care of children below school-going
age to enable women, who have the traditional care for children,
realize their full potential.
(3) Women shall be guaranteed equal rights to training
and promotion without any impediments from any person.
(1) Parliament shall enact such laws as are necessary
to ensure that-
(a) every child has the right to the same measure
of special care, assistance and maintenance as is necessary for
its development from its natural parents, except where those
parents have effectively surrendered their rights and responsibilities
in respect of the child in accordance with law;
(b) every child, whether or not born in wedlock, shall
be entitled to reasonable provision out of the estate of its
parents;
(c) parents undertake their natural right and obligation of
care, maintenance and upbringing of their children in co-operation
with such institution as Parliament may, by law, prescribe
in such manner that in all cases the interest of the children are
paramount;
(d) children and young persons receive special protection
against exposure to physical and moral hazards; and
(e) the protection and advancement of the family as
the unit of society are safeguarded in promotion of the interest
of children.
(2) Every child has the right to be protected from engaging
in work that constitutes a threat to his health, education or
development.
(3) A child shall not be subjected to torture or other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
(4) No child shall be deprived by any other person of
medical treatment, education or any other social or economic benefit
by reason only of religious or other beliefs.
(5) For the purposes of this article, "child" means
a person below the age of eighteen years.
(1) Disabled persons have the right to live with
their families or with foster parents and to participate in social,
creative or recreational activities.
(2) A disabled person shall not be subjected to
different treatment in respect of his residence other than that
required by his condition or by the improvement which he may derive
from the treatment.
(3) If the stay of a disabled person in a specialized
establishment is indispensable, the environment and living conditions
there shall be as close as possible to those of the normal life
of a person of his age.
(4) Disabled persons shall be protected against all
exploitation, all regulations and all treatment of a discriminatory,
abusive or degrading nature.
(5) In any judicial proceedings in which a disabled
person is a party the legal procedure applied shall take his physical
and mental condition into account.
(6) As far as practicable, every place to which the
public have access shall have appropriate facilities for disabled
persons.
(7) Special incentives shall be given to disabled persons
engaged in business and also to business organizations that employ
disabled persons in significant numbers.
(8) Parliament shall enact such laws as are necessary
to ensure the enforcement of the provisions of this article.
FUNDAMENTAL
HUMAN RIGHT AND FREEDOMS
30313233
A person who by reason of sickness or any
other cause is unable to give his consent shall not be deprived
by any other person of medical treatment, education or any other
social or economic benefit by reason only of religious or other
beliefs.
Emergency Powers
(1) The President may, acting in accordance with
the advice of the Council of State, by Proclamation published in
the Gazette, declare that a state of emergency exists in Ghana or
in any part of Ghana for the purposes of the provisions of this
Constitution.
(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of this
article, where a proclamation is published under clause (1) of this
article , the President shall place immediately before Parliament,
the facts and circumstances leading to the declaration of the state
of emergency.
(3) Parliament shall, within seventy-two hours after
being so notified, decided whether the proclamation should remain
in force or should be revoked; and the President shall act in accordance
with the decision of Parliament.
(4) A declaration of a state of emergency shall cease
to have effect at the expiration of a period of seven days
beginning with the date of publication of the declaration, unless,
before the expiration of that period, it is approved by a
resolution passed for that purpose by a majority of all the members
of Parliament.
(5) Subject to clause (7) of this article, a declaration
of a state of emergency approved by a resolution of Parliament under
clause (4) of this article shall continue in force until the expiration
of a period of three months beginning with the date of its
being so approved or until such earlier date as may be specified
in the resolution.
(6) Parliament may, by resolution passed by a majority
of all members of Parliament, extend its approval of the declaration
for periods of not more than one month at a time.
(7) Parliament may, by a resolution passed by
a majority of all the members of Parliament, at any time, revoke
a declaration of a state of emergency approved by Parliament
under this article.
(8) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby
declared that the provisions of any enactment, other than an Act
of Parliament, dealing with a state of emergency declared under
clause (1) of this article shall apply only to that part of Ghana
where the emergency exists.
(9) The circumstances under which a state of
emergency may be declared under this article a natural disaster
and any situation in which any action is taken or is immediately
threatened to be taken by any person or body or persons which-
(a) is calculated or likely to deprive the community
of the essentials of life; or
(b) renders necessary the taking of measures which are required
for securing the public safety, the defence of Ghana and the maintenance
of public order and of supplies and service essential to the life
of the community.
(10) Nothing in, or done under the authority of, an
Act of Parliament shall be held to be inconsistent with, or in contravention
of, articles 12 to 30 of this Constitution to the extent that the
Act in question authorizes the taking, during any period when a
state of emergency is in force, of measures that are reasonably
justifiable for the purposes of dealing with the situation that
exists during that period.
(1) Where a person is restricted or detained by virtue
a of law made pursuant to a declaration of a state of emergency,
the following provisions shall apply- (a) he shall as soon
as practicable, and in any case not later than twenty-four hours
after the commencement of the restriction or detention, be furnished
with a statement in writing specifying in detail the grounds upon
which he is restricted or detained and the statement in writing
specifying in detail the grounds upon which he is restricted o detained,
and the statement shall be read or interpreted to the person restricted
or detained;
(b) the spouse, parent, child or other available next
of kin of the person restricted or detained shall be informed of
the detention or restriction within twenty-four hours after
the commencement of the detention or restriction and be permitted
access to the detention or restriction and be permitted access to
the person at the earliest practicable opportunity and in any case
within twenty-four hours after the commencement of the restriction
or detention;
(c) not more than ten days after the commencement of
his restriction or detention, a notification shall be published
in the Gazette and in the media stating that he has been restricted
or detained and giving particulars of the provision of law under
which his restriction or detention is authorized and the grounds
of his restriction or detention;
(d) not more than ten days after commencement of his
restriction or detention, and after that, during his three months,
his case shall be reviewed by a tribunal composed of not less than
three Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature appointed by
the Chief Justice; except that the same tribunal shall not review
more than once the case of a person restricted or detained;
(e) he shall be afforded every possible facility to
consult a lawyer of his choice who shall be permitted to make representations
to the tribunal appointed for the review of the case of the restricted
or detained person;
(f) at the hearing of his case, he shall be permitted to appear
in person or by a lawyer of his choice.
(2) On a review by a tribunal of the case of a restricted
or detained person, the tribunal may order the release of the person
and the payment to him of adequate compensation or uphold the grounds
of his restriction or detention; and the authority by which the
restriction or detention was ordered shall act accordingly.
(3) In every month in which there is a sitting of Parliament,
a Minister of State authorized by the President, shall make a report
to Parliament of the number of persons restricted or detained by
virtue of such a law as is referred to in clause (10) of article
31 of this Constitution and the number of cases in which the authority
that ordered the restriction or detention has acted in accordance
with the decision of the tribunal appointed under this article.
(4) Notwithstanding clause (3) of this article, the
Minister referred to in that clause shall publish every month in
the Gazette and in the media-
(a) the number and the names and addresses of the persons
restricted or detained;
(b) the number of cases reviewed by the tribunal; and
(c) the number of cases in which the authority which
ordered the restriction or detention has acted in accordance with
the decisions of the tribunal appointed under this article.
(5) For the avoidance of doubt, it is hereby declared
that at the end of an emergency declared under clause(1) of article
31 of this Constitution, a person in restriction or detention or
in custody as a result of the declaration of the emergency shall
be released immediately.
(1) Where a person alleges that a provision of this
Constitution on the fundamental human rights and freedoms has been,
or is being or is likely to be contravened in relation to him, then,
without prejudice to any other action that is lawfully available,
that person may apply to the High Court for redress
(2) The High Court may,
under clause (1) of this article issue such directions or orders
or writs including writs or orders in the nature of habeas corpus,
certiorari, mandamus, prohibition and quo warranto as it may consider
appropriate for the purposes of enforcing or securing the enforcement
of any the fundamental human rights and freedoms to
the protection of which the person concerned is entitled.
(3) A person aggrieved by a determination of High Court
may appeal to the Court of Appeal with the right of a further appeal
to the Supreme Court.
(4) The Rules of Court Committee may make rules of court
with respect to the practice and procedure of the Superior Courts
for the purposes of this article.
(5) The rights, duties, declarations and guarantees
relating to the fundamental human rights and freedoms specifically
mentioned in this Chapter shall not be regarded as excluding others
not specifically mentioned which are considered to be inherent in
a democracy and intended to secure the freedom and dignity of man.
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