Committee approves proposal to deny right to remain silent to homicide suspects

National Security Committee of the People’s Majlis has today approved a proposal to amend law which would deny those suspected of culpable homicide and of causing grievous bodily harm with sharp weapons the rights to remain silent during investigation and to remain free of custody during investigation and trial.

The proposal considered by the Committee is intended to amend the Law on Prohibition of Threatening and Handling Dangerous Weapons and Sharp Objects. The amendment bill was proposed by Ibrahim Didi, MP for Feydhoo Constituency and it has now been sent to the Majlis floor.

The amendment says that cases of homicide and causing grievous bodily harm with sharp objects should be decided within thirty days of prosecution, and that the Prosecutor General should prosecute suspects of these crimes within 15 days after the case is sent to his office.

The amendment bill also says that appeal time should be reduced from 90 to 30 days for cases involving the said crimes.

The bill empowers judges to order suspects of culpable homicide and crimes of causing grievous bodily harm to be kept in police custody for the whole period of investigation and trial.

Under the amendment, suspects of said crimes would have the right to meet a lawyer within 36 hours of arrest, in the presence of police officers.