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Defence Act, 1957 (Act No. 44 of 1957)

Schedules

First Schedule

141. How persons arrested for desertion or absence without leave to be dealt with

 

 

(1)

(a) Whenever a person surrenders himself to or is arrested by the chief disciplinary officer, an assistant disciplinary officer, a military policeman, a superior officer or a member of the South African Police on a charge under this Code of desertion or absence without leave, the person to whom he surrenders himself or who arrests him shall prepare and sign a certificate stating the fact of such surrender or arrest and the time, date and place thereof.
(b) A certificate prepared and signed in terms of paragraph (a) of this subsection shall at the trial of such person on such charge by a civil or military court on its mere production be admissible in evidence as proof of the surrender or arrest, as the case may be, and of the time, date and place thereof as stated in the certificate.

 

(2)

(a) Where a person is arrested by, or surrenders himself to, a member of the South African Police on a charge of desertion or absence without leave, and such person cannot be delivered over within forty-eight hours to his commanding officer or the chief disciplinary officer or an assistant disciplinary officer, he shall without delay be brought before a magistrate of the district in which he then is and such magistrate, if satisfied after due enquiry that such person is a deserter or an illegal absentee, or that there are reasonable grounds for suspecting that such person is a deserter or an illegal absentee, may order that he be delivered over to his commanding officer or to the chief disciplinary officer or an assistant disciplinary officer and that he be committed to custody in a prison, police cell or lock-up or other place of confinement until such delivery over can be effected: Provided that if such person is not so delivered over within fourteen days of his committal to custody by the magistrate, he shall again be brought before a magistrate who may order his committal for a further period not exceeding fourteen days.
(b) If there is not sufficient evidence available to the magistrate when such person is brought before him to enable the magistrate to determine whether such person is a deserter or an illegal absentee or whether there are reasonable grounds for so suspecting him, the magistrate may remand him in custody from time to time not exceeding seven days at a time.
(c) Where such person on being brought before a magistrate voluntarily confesses to being a deserter or an illegal absentee, the magistrate shall record such confession and obtain the signature of such person thereto, if he is willing to sign it, and shall thereafter himself sign such record and cause a true copy thereof to be made and certified by himself or the clerk of the court, and such certified copy shall be admissible in evidence on its mere production at the trial of such person by a civil or military court on a charge of desertion or absence without leave as proof of such confession.