Issue12 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions

‘To No One Will We Sell
To No One Deny or Delay Justice’
Chapter 40, Magna Carta 1215
Office of the Director
of Public Prosecutions
The Monthly
Legal Update
Newsletter
January 2012
Issue 12
EDITORIAL
Sell-by-date of Best Loser System expired
Dear Readers,
First of all, I wish you all a very happy new year
2012 and I hope that it has been a great start for you.
It is with great pleasure again and the same
dedication that the first issue of the ODPP newsletter
for 2012 is being issued. We hope to kindle the interest shown by our readers throughout this year.
In this issue, we include an article from the DPP
on recent Privy Council judgments. Also, articles from
Martine Hennequin, Psychologist, and Komal Boodhun, Criminologist following the seminar of 25 November 2011 on victims of crime can be found at pages 35.
The Privy Council judgment in the Bholah case
in favour of the prosecution deserves further attention
and a short report is at page 2. An article on Road
Traffic offences is found at page 8.
Mr Manoj Vaghjee, Consultant, has kindly responded to our invitation to share some of his views
on decision-making, which you shall find at page 9.
We include too photographs of the football
competition and a report on the UNODC Piracy Learning Exchange and residential seminar of the Attorney
General‟s Office last December.
We hope your reading is enjoyable.
Zaynah Essop, State Counsel
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Sell-by-date of Best Loser System
By Satyajit Boolell, SC, DPP….………….…….Pg 1
2. PC Judgment of DPP v A.A. Bholah….……..………Pg 2
3. IAP Regional Conference………..……….…………..Pg 2
4. „Faire de la prison…‟
By Martine Hennequin………………………….Pg 3
5. „Becoming a victim of crime‟
By H.D. Komal Boodhun…………...…………..Pg 5
6. Supreme Court Judgments………………………….Pg 6
7. UNODC Piracy Learning Exchange..……...……….Pg 7
8. Residential Seminar of AGO………………………...Pg 7
9. Road Traffic Offences: Disqualification..….……….Pg 8
Two important judgments caught our attention last December, the case of The Director of Public Prosecutions
v A.A Bholah [2011] UKPC 44 and that of Dany Sylvie
Marie and Dhojaven Vencadsamy and Ors V the Electoral Commissioner, The Electoral Supervisory Commission and The State of Mauritius [2011] UKPC 45. Ms
Beekarry who was junior counsel in the Bholah case, has
in this issue commented on the pertinence of the case. It
brings to an end any uncertainty as regards the onus on
the prosecution in proving money laundering offences. It
defines the evidential responsibilities of the prosecution
and certainly constitutes an important yardstick in cases
where the recovery of assets will be made pursuant to
the Asset Recovery Act. Incidentally, I should mention
that the Bill will be proclaimed this January.
The second case was a direct challenge on the requirement of a candidate in a general election, to declare his
or her community under Regulation 12(5) of the National
Assembly Elections Regulations. At the time the case
was heard by the Privy Council the outcome would have
been purely academic since the basis of the application
was related to the last general election of May 2010. But
the Law Lords, and that must have been the ultimate objective of the applicants, saw in it the wider constitutional
issues as the source of these regulations was the Constitution itself. It was to be expected given the express qualifications made to Section 81 of the constitution (see subsection (3)) that the question of jurisdiction of the judicial
Committee would be made an issue.
The Board concluded that it had no jurisdiction and observed “the policy reason (denying jurisdiction to the Judicial committee on the correctness of a declaration for
the purpose of standing as a candidate) behind all these
provisions seems to the Board to be clear. It is to permit
one challenge to a decision of the returning officer or to
the correctness of a declaration, all within a tight time
scale, in order to ensure that the determination is made
before the election, but to prohibit appeals with the inevitable delays consequent upon them, so that the election
can proceed without delay in the light of whatever decision is reached by the court. This seems to the Board to
be an entirely understandable policy.
It is apparent from the judgment, that the Judicial Committee nevertheless appreciated the issues raised by the
Applicants and that the earlier decisions in Parvez Carrimkhan V Tin How Lew Chin 2000 SCJ 264 and Narrain V Electoral Commissioner 2005 SCJ 159 must
have convinced the Board.
This explains the decision of the Board not to foreclose a
future opportunity to pronounce on the constitutionality of
the Best Loser System and the invitation has already
been made to the Applicants to come back through the
constitutional door. The days of the Best Loser System
are numbered.
10. „Le Role de la Mission…‟
By Manoj Vaghjee……………………….……...Pg 9
Satyajit Boolell SC
DPP
Issue 12 - Page 1
Privy Council Judgment in the case of
DPP v A. A. Bholah
Our readers will recall the article in our October 2011 issue to the effect that the case of DPP v A. A.
Bholah had been heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The case was a crucial one in
so far as it was the first money laundering prosecution in Mauritius, then brought under the Economic
Crime and Anti Money Laundering Act 2000 („ECAMLA‟).
The decision handed down by the Board on 20 December 2011, vindicating the stand of the prosecution, is a major victory. It puts to rest all the uncertainties that have for almost a decade characterised
this area of the law. Whilst the trial court in Bholah had found that the prosecution need not aver and
prove the underlying crime („the predicate office‟) giving rise to money laundering, the Supreme Court,
on appeal, had felt that this approach failed to live up to the standards set by our Constitution and fell
short of allowing an accused party the right to be informed in detail of the nature of the charge against
him.
This area of the law had been plagued with a conflicting line of authorities in the UK Court of Appeal too,
so that it was difficult to gauge what the right approach to prosecuting a money laundering offence
should be.
Bholah establishes (and this is in agreement with the basic propositions already accepted in the UK)
that proof of a specific offence is not required. It is sufficient to show that the property concealed, disguised or transferred represents the proceeds of any crime.
In all future prosecutions for money laundering prosecutors have to bear in mind that the yardstick by
which to be guided is fairness. Where it is possible to give particulars of the crime involved, or the type
of crime, then this should be done. The Board in Bholah has found that section 17(7) of ECAMLA did
not preclude a request for particulars of the type of criminal activity which had produced the illegal property.
A full copy of the judgment is available at:
http://www.jcpc.gov.uk/decided-cases/docs/JCPC_2010_0059_Judgment.pdf
IAP REGIONAL CONFERENCE, Mauritius
The ODPP will be hosting a joint regional conference with the International Association of Prosecutors
from 26 to 29 August 2012. The themes to be discussed at the Conference are Human Rights and
Prosecutions, Piracy in the Indian Ocean, Asset Forfeiture and Witness Protection. Details of the Conference will soon be available on the Conference website and through our newsletter.
Issue 12 - Page 2
Faire de la prison
Perspectives psychologiques : les effets sur la personne
Introduction
Cet article se fonde sur plusieurs années d‟intervention de l‟association Kinouété à
la prison des femmes, intervention qui s‟est étendue, depuis, à la prison des
hommes à Beau-Bassin et à l‟Open Prison de Richelieu. Notre équipe pluridisciplinaire composée d‟écoutants volontaires, de counsellors, de thérapeutes et de social workers est présente chaque semaine dans ces établissements carcéraux et
élabore depuis plusieurs années son programme spécifique de réhabilitation et de
réinsertion en faveur des détenus.
Nous souhaitons ici mettre l‟emphase sur les effets psychologiques, émotionnels et comportementaux de l‟expérience de l‟incarcération sur la personne, pour faire le lien avec le processus de réhabilitation et les besoins sur le
terrain pour une réinsertion réussie. L‟objectif étant bien évidemment d‟éviter la récidive.
En prison
Nous distinguons tout d‟abord deux expériences : celle de la mise en examen (remand) et celle de la condamnation ferme après procès. Les effets de ces deux étapes souvent successives sont différents : la personne qui est
arrêtée et placée en prison dans l‟attente d‟un procès se sent comme « en transit », avec une importante part
d‟espoir que le procès aura une issue heureuse et que cette mise en milieu carcéral n‟est que temporaire.
C‟est l‟étape de la condamnation qui semble la plus traumatisante pour la plupart : l‟espoir s‟évanouit et laisse la
place au désespoir, à une vision de son avenir sombre et sans issue. Le nombre d‟années fixées pour la peine
ferme reste un chiffre obsédant dans l‟esprit de la personne condamnée. 10 … 15 … 25 … ou 33 ans…
Un tableau dépressif franc avec des manifestations physiques (palpitations, crises d‟angoisse, perte d‟appétit,
troubles du sommeil, perte d‟énergie, migraines), des manifestations psychologiques (baisse de moral, désarroi,
idées suicidaires, choc émotionnel, sentiment d‟abandon et même fuites des idées ou délire) ainsi que des
troubles du comportement (prostration, repli, mutisme ou agitation, agressivité, monologues, troubles du comportement alimentaires) apparaît alors. Dans certains cas, des conduites paranoïaques, des tentatives de suicide,
ou des mécanismes de séduction ou de manipulation sont observés.
Un cycle infernal
Les personnes incarcérées accusent le coup de la sentence et commencent à intégrer le fait qu‟une vie est à
construire à l‟intérieur de la prison, où les paramètres sont différents, les règles intransigeantes, les droits humains différents. Il nous est souvent dit que la prison est hors de la vie, et que personne n‟est réellement en sécurité en prison… C‟est un espace fermé sur lui-même et contribue à ce qu‟il soit enlevé à la personne, la liberté
de prendre de petites décisions telle que l‟heure du réveil, ou du repas, l‟envie de rester dans le dortoir, l‟endroit
où passer la journée, les vêtements à porter… Rien n‟est laissé au libre choix du détenu, si ce n‟est la décision
de travailler ou pas : cuisine, buanderie, confection d‟uniformes d‟officier, ateliers de formation, élevage, jardinage sont alors au programme.
Notre pratique de soutien moral et de réhabilitation nous a permis d‟entrevoir le cycle infernal de la marginalisation dans lequel se trouve prise, la personne en prison. En effet, dans bien des cas, la prison n‟est pas le lieu de
la criminalité, mais plutôt celui qui recueille en fin de cycle la personne désocialisée. Les femmes sont particulièrement touchées. Une situation de pauvreté très souvent causée par la perte d‟un emploi plonge une famille entière dans ce cycle : l‟argent vient à manquer, et survient le recours à des moyens illicites comme la vente de
drogue, ou la prostitution (dernière alternative de survie pour nombre de femmes) puis c‟est la prison. Malheureusement, une fois connue l‟expérience de la prison, il est très difficile de sortir du cycle de désocialisation : la prison est un lieu où différents délits peuvent être « appris », les difficultés à trouver du travail après une incarcération sont réelles, la tentation de retrouver de l‟argent très vite est trop grande. Dans la plupart des cas, les personnes ex-détenues ne retrouvent pas de travail, et l‟on retrouve la situation de pauvreté du début. Et ainsi de
suite…
Issue 12 - Page 3
Réhabiliter la personne
À Kinouété, un parti pris fort fonde notre action : celui de d‟accompagner une Personne. Il ne s‟agit donc pas de
se focaliser sur le délit commis ou la raison qui à l‟origine de la présence en prison. Il ne s‟agit pas non plus de
trouver des solutions pratiques pour la personne. Il s‟agit de l‟accompagner d‟une telle manière que celle-ci arrive
à prendre ses propres décisions après avoir fait un long et profond travail sur elle-même pour se connaître, c‟està-dire, connaître ses blessures, ses fragilités, ses manques.
L‟ironie réside dans le fait qu‟en prison, on a le temps de faire ce travail ! Les personnes nous retrouvent chaque
semaine pour des séances individuelles de counselling ou de thérapie, puis choisissent (ou pas) de participer aux
différents groupes de parole proposés selon l‟étape où elles en sont de leur incarcération : au début, un programme de Life skills permet de faire connaissance avec soi-même et de se situer dans une démarche plus positive, moins mortifère, tant dans les modes de communication, que dans les manières d‟organiser sa vie. Ensuite
ce travail de groupe se poursuit dans des réflexions plus globales qui touchent des thèmes plus profonds, tels
que la réparation, le pardon, l‟autonomie, les relations parents-enfants… Enfin, lorsque la sortie de prison approche, Kinouété propose d‟appréhender le processus de réinsertion dès l‟intérieur de la prison, sans attendre la
liberté qui approche. Nous focalisons alors sur l‟avenir, les pièges à éviter, les difficultés réelles qui seront à confronter, ainsi que la réinsertion au sein de la famille, les réconciliations nécessaires, la recherche d‟emploi, les
manières de préserver un emploi, l‟aide au logement, comment élaborer un projet de vie, apprendre à dire non
aux propositions malveillantes…
La thérapie individuelle est l’action transversale aux programmes de réhabilitation et de réinsertion de Kinouété. Elle représente l‟axe fondamental par lequel la personne sera amenée à changer, à ne pas répéter les mêmes
erreurs, à s‟accueillir en tant que personne, et non en tant que « enn droguer », « enn voler », « enn vagabon »,
« enn violer »… Il s‟agit bien sûr de tenter que la personne retrouve sa dignité mais soit aussi à même de se responsabiliser et de quitter son statut de pauvre, de victime, de détenu…
Ce travail plus ou moins long par définition, et patient, n‟est pas aisé. Il ne saurait se passer d‟un travail parallèle
en collaboration avec les officiers de prison qui ont la lourde tâche de contenir les personnes dans ce lieu clos
sept jours sur sept. La violence latente, la tension ambiante, la vie en communauté, l‟absence totale d‟intimité
sont telles que les relations peuvent rapidement dégénérer et les affrontements survenir : puisque l‟on est en prison et que l‟on ne possède plus rien, autant se battre, l‟on n‟a plus rien à perdre ! se disent bien des détenus.
Conclusion
Au sein de Kinouété, nous cherchons encore comment rendre plus efficace le travail de réhabilitation et nous assurer que la personne ne retourne plus en prison. Cela passe par une présence auprès d‟elle qui s‟étend bien audelà du temps de l‟incarcération. Plusieurs années après l‟expérience de la prison nous continuons notre travail
d‟accompagnement et cherchons par tous les moyens de prévenir la récidive. Cela nécessite le renforcement
d‟un réseau efficace : ONG, entreprises, structures d‟accueil, financeurs, et bien sûr, certaines réformes notamment concernant le gel des avoirs et le certificat de moralité.
Martine Hennequin
Psychologue clinicienne
Psychothérapeute pour l’association Kinouété
Issue 12 - Page 4
Becoming a victim of crime
Everyday, accounts of crime, some more horrible than others, are reported in the media, be it written or spoken, as a fait divers. We do not even think or dream that such
a crime could be perpetrated against us. This is because we all have a positive view
of the world as being a safe place to live in. Undoubtedly, we are convinced in our
mind that such things only happen to others.
Whenever someone falls prey to such happenings, the impact is immediate but rest
assured, the sequel is ever lasting. In some cases, the life of the individual may be
changed drastically and irreversibly. Different factors determine the extent of the
impact of crime on a victim. For example, when the event occurs in a place considered safe such as at home, it is
more traumatising for the individual when the eventuality to change residence is not possible. Therefore, the fear
of being faced with a similar situation is increased each time the person returns home or is left alone.
There is no doubt that when the perpetrator is someone known to the victim, the impact is yet even greater and
much deeper. This is so because the perpetrator is someone in whom the victim had complete trust and such an
incident will affect the latter to such an extent that he/ she will be unable to trust others for the rest of his/ her life.
For example, victims of domestic violence, need to constantly live with such traumatising remembrances, which
are tolerated by society, as they feel helpless and unable to get out of such abusive relationships. That is why the
role of the police, as agents of the criminal justice system, is very important since they can provide the appropriate
support and service, or otherwise they can make the victims feel that there is no solution to their problem.
Feelings such as fear, anger, hatred, helplessness and anxiety are common in victims of crimes. Victims very
often suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to which they will relive, time and again, such traumatic happenings, leading them to a state of panic. Over time, victims try to find a justification for their victimisation which can ultimately lead to a feeling of guilt or self blame. However, in some cases, such as incest, victims
can hardly find reasons to explain the rationale behind their victimisation. In such cases, the impact of crime can
last forever.
Victims go through the recovery phase whereby they can try to live a normal life. Yet, going through an insensitive criminal justice system can be another hard step for the victims who are not allowed to forget the dramatic
event for weeks, months, if not years. Very often, the treatment inflicted to some victims, during police interrogation or the court procedures bring them to feel that they are being blamed for their plight, thus leading victims of
such unwanted and unwarranted happenings not to report crimes of sensitive issues such as domestic violence
and rape.
It cannot be denied that the accused also has rights and surely the claims or allegations of the victims should be
taken with caution for due process to prevail. Yet, criminal justice agents need to ensure that along with providing
victims with the minimum standard treatment, they should be sensitive to the needs and the psychological status
of the victims so that these people are not subjected to secondary victimisation. Indeed there is a need to apply
the platinum rule “treat others in the way they like to be treated.”
Finally, to quote Rose Kennedy “It has been said, „time heals all wounds.‟ I do not agree. The wounds remain. In
time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.”
Miss H.D. Komal Boodhun
Lecturer in Criminology
University of Mauritius
Issue 12 - Page 5
Please find below a summary of Supreme Court
judgments for the month of December 2011
The State v Carpenen G.N & Ors [2011 SCJ 428]
Mrs Justice Balgobin
Gang rape - wild conduct and use of extreme violence – 24 years’ penal servitude
Four persons were charged with having committed
the offence of rape upon the person of one Florise in
breach of section 249(1), (1B) and (1C) of the Criminal Code. They pleaded not guilty and were all represented by counsel.
The prosecution evidence rested mainly on the testimony of the complainant, whose version is substantially to the effect that in the night of 31st May 2009,
she was sleeping in her bedroom with her partner
when at a certain point in time 10 persons barged into
her room, looking for complainant‟s son. They were
armed with wooden sticks and a dog‟s chain.
Some of them dragged complainant‟s partner outside
from the bed and assaulted him.
Complainant was threatened with a knife on her throat
and she stated in detail the manner in which she was
raped by the 4 accused.
The Court bore in mind that special caution was called
for before relying on the uncorroborated evidence of a
victim of a sexual offence and after considering all the
evidence and watching the demeanour of the complainant, the Court dismissed the charge against accused no. 3 and no.4 and convicted accused no.1 and
no.2.
The Court held that the wild conduct and use of extreme violence and sexual abuse by accused nos. 1
and 2 were overwhelmingly shocking and alarming
and sentenced them to undergo 24 years‟ penal servitude, from which their period spent on remand (2
years, 7 months and 8 days) would be deducted.
Virassamy v The State [2011 SCJ 435]
CJ. Yeung Sik Yuen, JJ. Chui Yew Cheong &
Mungly-Gulbul
Application for leave to PC - Section 81(2)(b) of
Constitution
The Applicant applied for conditional leave to appeal
to the Privy Council. He was prosecuted before the
Assizes on a charge of murder, was found guilty and
was convicted and sentenced to undergo 36 years
penal servitude. His appeal to the Court of Criminal
Appeal had been dismissed.
The Court re-iterated the well-known principles governing the granting of leave under section 81 (2) (b)
Constitution, namely that there has to be a departure
from the basic principles of administration of justice,
such that the administration of justice is diverted into a
new course such that it is drawn into an evil precedent
in the future [Badry v. DPP [1983 AC 197]; Ramkrishna-Rao Appadoo v. The State [1995 SCJ 185]]. The
applicant had raised an issue as to the propriety of the
manner in which the Judge‟s Secretary appointed as
Interpreter at trial. The Court found that the competence of the Interpreter was never challenged in court,
even if Applicant was represented by Counsel at his
trial. It was therefore concluded that the ground did
not raise a question of great general public importance.
The Applicant had also challenged the finding of the
Court of Criminal Appeal that no requisition from the
DPP was required under section 116 of the Courts Act
to hold a Preliminary Inquiry by the District Magistrate.
Reliance had also been placed on the case of Boobhun v. The District Magistrate of Black River [1999 MR
120]. The Court held that the present case had to be
distinguished from the case of Boobhun. It held that
under section 116 of the Courts Act, no requisition
from the DPP was required, unlike enquiries held under section 64 of the District and Intermediate Court
(Criminal Jurisdiction) Act. Following a review of the
historical development of Preliminary Inquiries, it was
also further concluded that where the District Magistrate carried out a preliminary inquiry without the requisition from the DPP, the doctrine of separation of powers was not infringed. Since the matter had already
been dealt with in the cases of R v. de Luca [1865 MR
83], R v. Sookun [1900 MR 42] and Gulam Rassool
and Muktar Ali v. The State [1993 MR 119], there was
no question of great general public importance which
arose.
The other issue before the Court was whether the
Judge‟s intimation to the jury to return a verdict late in
the afternoon after the summing-up amount to a
breach of the Applicant‟s right to protection of the law.
The court held that no evil precedent was created inasmuch as the issues in the present matter were not
complex ones, the Applicant had confessed to the
commission of the crime, the Judge‟s direction was
clear, such that the jury did not find any difficulty in
returning its verdict.
The Applicant had also raised the failure of the trial
court and the Appellate Court to apply the sentencing
principles in Reyes v The Queen [2002 UKPC 11]. It
was held that each case had to be decided on its own
merits, and the trial Court had borne in mind all the
facts and circumstances of the case. Therefore, there
was no exceptional situation in the present matter for
the Privy Council to interfere with the sentence.
The Application was set aside with costs.
(NB: An Application for permission to appeal to the
Judicial Committee has been served recently on the
State)
Issue 12 - Page 6
UNODC Counter Piracy Programme Prosecutors Learning Exchange
6th and 7th of December 2011, Mauritius
A Prosecutors Learning Exchange seminar was conducted by UNODC on 6th and 7th of December 2011 in Mauritius. The participants were prosecutors from regional States such as Kenya, Tanzania and Zanzibar.
The two day event involved discussions around piracy prosecutions, prisoner transfers and maritime law enforcement operations. The event has been no doubt, a good opportunity for representatives from regional states to
share their prosecution experiences, and to discuss further training and support needs with UNODC. It has been
an enriching seminar for Mauritian participants inasmuch as we are planning to have our first piracy trial by this
year and hence, it was important for us to discuss about the legal implications involved as well as about the problems which may be encountered whilst prosecuting.
International experts present at the seminar did several informative presentations on issues such as gathering
evidence for piracy trials, handing over procedures, prisoners transfer issues as well as problematic issues of law.
The Learning Exchange had a participatory format aimed at promoting the exchange of ideas and experience
among the regional delegates. Delegates were asked to give presentations on issues relevant to regional piracy
prosecutions.
We took this opportunity to discuss the Piracy and Maritime Violence Bill which was before Parliament that week.
The seminar was indeed, in its true sense, a learning exchange for all the prosecutors present and all of them
shared their contact details at the end of the seminar, with a view to encourage further communications on piracy
issues and the eventual setting up of a Prosecutors Network.
Anusha Rawooah, State Counsel
Residential Seminar of the Attorney General’s Office
3-4 December 2011, Movenpick Hotel, Bel Ombre
The Attorney General‟s Office (‟AGO‟) organised a residential seminar from the 3rd to the 4th of December
2011 at Movenpick Hotel, Bel Ombre. Some officers from the Office of the DPP attended the event. The purpose
of the seminar was for officers to understand the vision, mission and the core values of the Attorney General‟s
Office. Mr O. B. Madhub, Deputy Solicitor General, defined the vision of the AGO as aspiring to become a centre
of excellence for legal and legislative drafting services.
The first speaker, Mr Manoj Vaghjee, Consultant, gave a presentation on the issue of decision-making
from an institutional perspective. According to him, it is imperative for each one of us to understand our role within an organisation and to be fully conscious of the reason why we are there. And this has to be linked to the mission of the organisation. Each one of us need to feel motivated each morning to go to work and this can only be
done if one is happy within the organisation. Therefore, happiness at the place of work is crucial! He stated that
the trend of mission statement of organisations around the world is pointing towards the notion of happiness at
work. This is because the human being needs to work for a superior ideal. He went on to say that a human being is defined by his fundamental values and this has to be combined with the organisational values in order to
have work as a team.
Along the same lines, Professor V. Torul emphasized the need to work as a team through discussion, sharing, negotiation and dialogue. J
Justice A. A. Caunhye, Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court, also attended the residential seminar and
gave a helpful insight into the standards expected of law officers conducting cases before the Supreme Court.
His Lordship explained that preparation and thorough research are the keys to success.
The seminar ended with some team building activities which was relaxing and fun!
Zaynah Essop, State Counsel
Issue 12 - Page 7
Prosecution for driving motor vehicle whilst
being under disqualification
Sections 53(4) and (5) of the Road Traffic Act
THE LAW
Section 53(4) of the RTA makes it an offence for a person to drive a motor vehicle on a road whilst being underdisqualification. The penalty provided is:
(i)
(ii)
imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years;
a fine not exceeding 2,000 rupees (where the Court thinks that, having regard to the special circumstances of the case, a fine would be an adequate punishment for the offence); or
(iii) both imprisonment and fine.
However, the law provides for a time limit to institute proceedings for this offence. This is catered for under Section 53(5) of RTA, which states that proceedings for this offence may be instituted:
a) within a period of 6 months from the date of the commission of the alleged offence; or
b) Within a period which does not exceed –
i) 3 months from the date on which it came to the knowledge of the prosecutor that the offence had
been committed; or
ii) One year from date of commission of offence whichever period is longer.”
INTERPRETING THE DELAY
The recent case of Potigadoo v/s The State (2011) SCJ 99 the Court has interpreted Sect 53(5) of the RTA as
imposing a delay as follows:
The delay to institute proceedings for breach of Sect 53(4)(b) of RTA is 6 months from the date of commission of
the offence. However, if 6 months has already lapsed, prosecution can still resort to the delay provided in sect 53
(5)(b) of RTA, if it is able to satisfy the following dual test:

That the case has been lodged within 3 months from which the prosecutor became aware of the offence,
and
The case has been lodged within 1 year from commission of offence.

APPLYING THE LAW TO A SET OF FACTS
An offence of driving a motor vehicle whilst being under disqualification has been committed on 21st may 2010.
The information was lodged on 9 September 2011 (i.e more than 6 months later).
The Prosecutor became aware of the case on 14 January 2011 (i.e more than 3 months later and proceedings
were instituted 16 months later (i.e after the delay of 1 year).
Hence, applying the case of “Potigadoo v/s The State (2011) SCJ 99, the statutory time limit has not been respected in this case.
IS FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE TIME LIMIT OF SECT 53(5) OF RTA FATAL?
(i)
In the case of Rambarran v/s R (1959) MR 129 the Court held that :
“When a prosecution is based on an information which shows, ex facie its contents, that the offence
charged therein is the time barred, there is clearly lack of jurisdiction and such jurisdiction cannot be
established by a plea of guilty, since such plea can have no legal value when given in answer to a
charge laid in an information which is void of effect ab initio”
The case of Rambarran was reaffirmed in the case of Potigadoo. Hence, failure to comply with the time limit under Section 53(5) is fatal.
Ms Anusha Rawoah , State Counsel
Issue 12 - Page 8
Le rôle de la mission, des valeurs et de la vision dans la prise de décisions
On parle souvent de ces trois éléments dans les organisations, qu‟elles soient du public,
du privé, des ONG ou encore de la société civile. Plusieurs de ces organisations ont
même de superbes phrases qui les énoncent. Et pourtant leur pouvoir et leur influence
sont souvent méconnus sinon mis de côté, que ce soit lors des instants de réflexion stratégique ou même dans le moindre de nos activités de tous les jours.
Ces trois éléments sont en fait des éléments moteurs de la prise de décision pour toute
personne à tout instant que ce soit consciemment ou inconsciemment !
La prise de conscience de leur rôle dans tout ce que nous faisons, ce que nous ferons et ce qui est attendu de
nous au sein d‟une organisation est un atout dans la réussite de tout ce que nous entreprenons. Peter Drucker
disait que "la plus importante raison de frustration et d'échecs dans les entreprises provient d'une réflexion insuffisante de la raison d'être de l'entreprise, de sa mission"
Deux écoles de pensée traitent de la mission justement :
L‟une proposant la mission comme un outil stratégique et dans ce sens liée d‟une part au métier de l‟entreprise
et d‟autre part aux marchés de celle-ci. Mais attention à ne pas se laisser prendre au jeu de ce que Levitt déclamera, en 1960, comme la myopie marketing : ne pas restreindre l‟envergure de la mission de par une définition
trop étriquée du métier de l‟entreprise.
L‟autre école propose à la mission le rôle de ciment culturel, englobant les valeurs et les normes dans l‟entreprise
ainsi établissant les „landmarks‟, ces fameuses bornes qui délimitent le cadre de fonctionnement en son sein. La
mission dans ce cadre a aussi pour but d‟établir un langage commun, permettant ainsi aux employés de se reconnaitre par des mots et gestes.
Si on revient à la raison d‟être de l‟entreprise, on pourrait, pour des besoins didactiques et selon Campbell et
Yeung (1991), identifier trois types d‟organisations : le premier qui n‟existe que pour créer de la valeur pour ses
actionnaires ; le deuxième proclame que l‟organisation doit prendre en compte les besoins de toutes les parties
intéressées, ces fameux „stakeholders‟ ; alors que le troisième pense que l‟organisation a pour but de travailler
pour un idéal supérieur.
En se référant, maintenant, aux travaux de Maslow et Herzberg, Maslow qui met en haut de sa pyramide l‟accomplissement personnel et Herzberg qui démontre que l‟humain a besoin de se réaliser dans le travail, on pourrait sans trop de risque énoncer qu‟une entreprise qui veut réussir et créer de l‟enthousiasme auprès de ses employés et autres parties intéressées devrait plutôt s‟orienter vers une définition de sa raison d‟être, sa mission,
qui permet de prendre en considération un idéal supérieur.
L‟être humain a besoin de travailler pour un idéal supérieur ! Rappelons-nous de l‟histoire de ces trois tailleurs de
pierre qui travaillent sur un chantier et dont le premier, à qui on demande sa raison d‟être, répond que c‟est pour
tailler la pierre, le deuxième répondant que c‟est pour monter des murs alors que le troisième répond, quant à lui,
il construit une cathédrale! Qui d‟entre les trois inspirera de l‟enthousiasme, qui donnera envie de travailler aux
autres?
Le deuxième élément moteur de la prise de décision, et non des moindres, concerne les valeurs. Et elles sont de
deux types : fondamentales et organisationnelles. Ces deux types de valeurs ne s‟excluent pas mais elles sont
plutôt complémentaires.
Quelles que soient nos valeurs, elles influencent tous les aspects de notre vie personnelle et professionnelle, nos
prises de décision, nos projets, nos comportements et parfois se confrontent ou s‟associent aux valeurs des
autres. Elles déterminent qui nous souhaiterions être au travail, dans quel rôle, dans quelle ambiance et avec
quels principes nous souhaitons travailler. Les valeurs fondamentales (dignité, honnêteté, intégrité, …) sont les
critères qui nous permettent de définir ce que nous ne sommes pas prêts à faire pour réussir! Les valeurs organisationnelles (professionnalisme, l‟écoute, qualité…), quant à elles, viennent appuyer et renforcer l‟accomplissement de la mission de l‟organisation.
Le troisième élément moteur considéré ici est la vision. Plusieurs définitions existent mais celle que je voudrais
partager avec vous est celle-là : l‟intention stratégique de l‟entreprise.
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Et pour illustrer cette définition, prenons deux exemples :
Le premier concerne la vision d‟un certain George Eastman en 1888. Sa vision : Mettre à la disposition de tous un appareil de
photographie simple, en main, à un prix abordable. A cette époque, un appareil photo c’était une grosse boite noire de la taille
d‟un cageot de fruits, qui se mettait sur un trépied qui pour être déplacé nécessitait trois hommes forts, un bain de nitrate au
pied du trépied dans lequel on devait plonger la plaque photographique pour aider le développement de la photo ! Au moment
où il fait donc état de cette intention, technologiquement ce n‟était pas faisable et pourtant il l‟a pensé et développera quelque
temps après l‟appareil qu‟on appellera KODAK !
Le deuxième concerne un père et son fils, japonais, qui avaient une petite entreprise d‟engins de terrassement dans une des
villes du Japon. Nous sommes en 1917 et les engins de terrassement dans le monde c‟est Caterpillar ! Grosse entreprise
internationale reconnu pour la qualité, la fiabilité et son système d‟entretien exemplaire de par le monde. Ce père et son fils
viendront avec leur vision qui se tient en deux mots : Maru C ! Ce qui veut dire : Encerclons Caterpillar ! Tout simplement
cela.
Eux, c‟est Komatsu, et à ce moment-là ils sont une petite entreprise locale, reconnue pour la non-fiabilité des engins qu‟ils
vendent, un service d‟entretien quasi inexistant, champion de la non-qualité pour ainsi dire ! Et pourtant quelques années
plus tard, Komatsu aura pris la moitié des parts de marché de Caterpillar et fera des marges qui dépassent celles de leur concurrent.
Des exemples de la sorte, il y en a tout plein. Ainsi se traduit la force d‟une vision bien définie. Ce qu‟il y a de commun dans
toutes ces visions se résume en trois notions : celle de victoire ; on parle de gagner ! Celle de rassemblement, ces visions
donnent envie de faire ensemble ! Et celle d‟intemporalité, à aucun moment ces visions ne définissent un calendrier ! Ces
visions sont tributaire de quelque chose dont on ne fait quasiment jamais état dans une entreprise : la foi ! Et quoi de mieux
pour définir ce mot que la phrase de Rabindranath Tagore :
“Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark”
Savoir définir sa mission, énoncer sa vision et choisir ses valeurs dans une organisation est probablement la toute première
série d‟étapes dans la construction d‟une entreprise où il fait bon travailler et nous pourrions commencer alors à parler du bonheur…mais ça c‟est un autre sujet !
Manoj Vaghjee, Consultant
Highlights of the Football Competition organised by the Young Bar on Sunday 11 December 2011
Photographs taken by Mrs Thao Vo-Rangasamy
Special thanks to her.
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EDITORIAL TEAM
End of Year festivities
Ms Sulakshna Beekarry
Miss Zaynah Essop
Miss Anusha Rawooah
Miss Keshri Soochit
Miss Dushuina Pyndiah
Miss Ashwina Joree
Mr Dzedhaan Bhatoo
Miss Selvina Adapen
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
‘People with clear, written goals,
accomplish far more in a shorter period of
time than people without them could ever
imagine.’
ENJOY READING YOUR
MONTHLY LEGAL
UPDATE NEWSLETTER
PLEASE FORWARD ALL
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Issue 12 - Page 11