Arrest by Private Persons

Arrest by Private Persons (Criminal Procedure Act, Cap. 20 R.E. 2022)

Section 16 of the Criminal Procedure Act outlines the powers of private individuals to make arrests in certain circumstances:

Arrest for Offences in Presence: Any private person is authorized to arrest someone who commits an offence in their presence, as referred to in section 14 of the Act. This means if a private individual directly witnesses an offence listed under section 14, such as a breach of the peace or obstruction of a police officer, they have the right to arrest the offender.

Arrest Involving Injury to Property: A person can also arrest without a warrant if they witness an offence involving injury to property. In such cases, the owner of the property, their servants, or a person authorized by the owner, is permitted to arrest the perpetrator.

This section empowers private individuals to take action when witnessing certain crimes, particularly those affecting public order or property, thus enabling immediate intervention to uphold the law.