Section 54
Admissibility of statements in evidence
of Sustainable Resources and Wastes Management, 2025
—
(1)
If any person is charged with an offence, any statement, whether the statement amounts to a confession or not or whether it is oral or in writing, made at any time, whether before or after the person is charged and whether in the course of an investigation under this
Ordinance or not and whether or not wholly or partly in answer to questions, by that person to or in the hearing of an investigating officer referred to in section 52 and whether or not interpreted to him by another officer or any other person, shall be admissible in evidence at his trial and, if the person charged tenders himself as a witness, any such statement may be used in cross examination and for the purpose of impeaching him.
(2)
No statement referred to in subsection (1) shall be admissible or used in any criminal proceedings—
(a)
if the making of the statement appears to the Court to have been caused by any inducement, threat or promise having reference to the charge against such person proceeding from a person in authority and sufficient in the opinion of the Court to give the person charged grounds which would appear to him reasonable for supposing that by making it he would gain any advantage or avoid any evil of a temporal nature in reference to the proceedings against him; or
(b)
in the case of a statement made by the person after his arrest, unless the Court is satisfied that he was cautioned by any investigating officer or a police officer of or above the rank of
Inspector in the following words or words to the like effect:
“It is my duty to warn you that you are not obliged to say anything or to answer any question, but anything you say, whether in answer to a question or not, may be given in evidence”.
(3)
A statement made by a person before there is time to caution him shall not be rendered inadmissible in evidence merely by reason of
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him not having been cautioned if he is cautioned as soon as possible after that.