Criminal Justice Act, 1999

Amendment or repeal of other provisions of Act of 1967.

10.—(1) Part II of the Act of 1967 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following title for the title to that Part:

“Guilty Pleas and Other Matters”.

(2) Sections 5 to 12 of the Act of 1967 are hereby repealed.

(3) Section 13 of the Act of 1967 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following subsections for subsection (2):

“(2) If at any time the District Court ascertains that a person charged with an offence to which this section applies wishes to plead guilty and the court is satisfied that he understands the nature of the offence and the facts alleged, the Court—

(a) may, with the consent of the prosecutor, deal with the offence summarily, in which case the accused shall be liable to the penalties provided for in subsection (3), or

(b) if the accused signs a plea of guilty, may, subject to subsection (2A), send him forward for sentence with that plea to that court to which, but for that plea, he would have been sent forward for trial.

(2A) The accused shall not be sent forward for sentence under this section without the consent of the prosecutor.”.

(4) Section 13(4) of the Act of 1967 is hereby amended by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (b):

“(b) In that event—

(i) the court shall enter a plea of not guilty, which shall have the same effect in all respects as if the accused had been sent forward for trial to that court on that charge in accordance with Part IA,

(ii) the prosecutor shall cause to be served on the accused any documents that under section 4B or 4C are required to be served and have not already been served, and

(iii) the period referred to in section 4B(1) shall run from the date on which the not guilty plea is entered.”.

(5) Sections 14 to 18 of the Act of 1967 are hereby repealed.