Special Regions Act

Defines "authorised officer" to include an administrative officer, a police officer of or above the rank of corporal, or any person declared by the Minister by statutory instrument to be an authorised officer.

Authorised officers may order removal of trespassing cattle and may shoot cattle in specified circumstances; failure to obey removal orders is an offence punishable by up to twelve months' imprisonment; a chief magistrate must hold an inquiry into any shooting.

Authorised officers must report actions taken under subsection (1) to a chief magistrate forthwith; magistrates may, after inquiry, order return, transfer, sale and distribution of seized cattle or compensation depending on findings and the Animal Diseases Act.

Courts may make exclusion orders after convicting a person of certain offences; an exclusion order prohibits the person from entering and remaining in specified areas for up to five years, the court may add conditions to prevent association with persons in the excluded area, the order takes effect on release if the person is imprisoned, and breaching the order is an offence punishable by up to twelve months' imprisonment.

If cattle have been seized, sold, slaughtered or otherwise disposed of under the Act and that action was confirmed by a magistrate after inquiry, no person may start civil proceedings in any court about those cattle.

Persons acting (or purporting to act) under this Act who perform acts in good faith while executing their duty are not personally subject to liability, action, claim or demand.

If a chief magistrate cannot begin an inquiry within seven days after receiving the relevant report, a magistrate grade I appointed by the Chief Justice may commence and conclude the inquiry and may exercise the powers of a chief magistrate.

The Minister may, by statutory instrument, declare any area to be a special region.

The Minister may declare places within a declared special region to be prohibited areas, may prohibit entry and building within them (entry requires written permission of an administrative officer), orders must be published and may come into force on a Minister-directed date, residents are exempt, and contravention can lead to up to twelve months imprisonment.

A chief magistrate or magistrate grade I may require community leaders to show cause and execute bonds to keep the peace for up to one year when informed of likely bloodshed, cattle theft, or prohibited cattle entry.

When an order under section 4(3) has been read and explained under section 4(4), the magistrate must inquire into the truth of the information and take any further evidence necessary.

The magistrate may order community leaders to give bonds to keep the peace if, after an inquiry under section 5, the magistrate is satisfied the community members are likely to cause bloodshed, steal cattle, or unlawfully bring cattle into a prohibited area.

If a leader refuses without good cause to execute a bond required under section 6, a chief magistrate or a magistrate grade I may order seizure and confiscation of cattle from the community up to the bond's value or part of it.

Section acted in such a manner as to have caused or to have been likely to cause bloodshed;

Authorised officers may seize and impound cattle in prohibited areas suspected to be there in contravention of an order under section 3, may sell, slaughter or dispose of seized cattle; seizures must be reported to a chief magistrate who must hold an inquiry; after inquiry the magistrate may order forfeiture or return (return at Government expense).