DEATH PENALTY ACT, 2023 (ACT 1101)
CRIMINAL OFFENCES (AMENDMENT)
__________ ACT, 2023__________
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Section
1. Section 46 of Act 29 amended
2. Section 49 of Act 29 amended
3. Section 49A of Act 29 amended
4. Section 194 of Act 29 amended
5. Section 317A of Act 29 amended
The One Thousand One Hundred and First
ACT
OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA
ENTITLED
CRIMINAL OFFENCES (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2023
AN ACT to amend the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) to substitute the penalty of life imprisonment for the death penalty and to provide for related matters.
DATE OF ASSENT: 2nd August, 2023.
Passed by Parliament and assented to by the President.
Section 46 of Act 29 amended
1. The Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), referred to in this Act as the ‘principal enactment”, is amended by the substitution for section 46 of
Murder
46. A person who commits minder is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.
Section 49 of Act 29 amended
2. The principal enactment is amended by the substitution for section 49 of
Attempt to commit murder by convict
“49. A person who, being under a sentence of imprisonment for three years or more, attempts to commit murder, is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.”
Section 49A of Act 29 amended
3. Section 49A of the principal enactment is amended by the substitution for subsection (1) of
“(1) A person who commits genocide is liable on conviction to life imprisonment.”
Section 194 of Act 29 amended
4. Section 194 of the principal enactment is amended by the substitution for subsection (2) of
“(2) A person who, with intent to commit, or at the time of, or immediately before, or immediately after, committing an act of piracy in respect of a ship, assaults, with intent to murder, a person who is on board, or belonging to, the ship or injures the person or unlawfully does an act by which the life of that person may be endangered, commits a felony and is liable on conviction to be sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Section 317A of Act 29 amended
5. Section 317A of the principal enactment is amended by the substitution for subsection (1) of
“(1) Despite any law to the contrary, a person who (a) without lawful authority, the proof of which lies on that person, exports or attempts to export gold or diamond; or
(b) conceals or carries away from the Republic gold or diamond with intent to evade an enactment relating to the export of gold or diamond, commits a criminal offence and is liable on conviction to a sentence of life imprisonment, and the gold or diamond, in respect of which the criminal offence was committed shall be forfeited to the Republic.”
Date of Gazette notification: 2nd August, 2023.
