450.
(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in any other written law or any other provision of this Code, the trial of any person for any offence punishable under section 114, 115 or 116 of the Penal Code shall be held before the High Court at Bar by three Judges without a jury. |
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(2) Where the Chief Justice is of the opinion that owing to the nature of the offence or the circumstances of and relating to the commission of the offence, in the interests of justice a trial at Bar should be held, the Chief Justice may by order under his hand direct that the trial of any person for that offence shall be held before the High Court at Bar by three judges without a jury. |
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(3) A trial before the High Court under this section may be held either upon indictment, or upon information exhibited by the Attorney-General. |
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(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Code or any other law, the Attorney-General may exhibit to the High Court information in respect of any offence to be tried before the High Court at Bar by three Judges without a jury. |
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(5) A trial before the High Court at Bar under this section shall be held as speedily as possible and shall proceed as nearly as possible in the manner provided for trials before the High Court without a jury subject to such modifications as may be ordered by the Court or as may be prescribed by rules made under this Code. |
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(6) At any trial before the High Court under this section, the court or the presiding Judge thereof, may give directions for the summoning, arrest, custody or bail of all persons charged before the court on indictment or by information exhibited under this section : |
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(7) Any person indicted or charged on an information before the High Court under this section may at least two weeks before the commencement of such trial, by application in writing to the High Court request that he be furnished with copies of the statements made by the witnesses whom the prosecution intends to call and of the documents the prosecution intends to produce at the trial and the court may direct that copies of all such statements or documents, or of only such statements or documents as the court in its discretion thinks fit, be given by the Attorney-General to such person. |
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(8) The trial of any person before the High Court under this section may commence or continue in the absence of such person if the court is satisfied that he is absconding or feigning illness or has left the island or being present, obstructs or impedes the progress of the trial. |
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