From: "Alex Holmes", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>I remember reading a South African Police document on
self-defence that was
>written in the 60s that said you could use lethal force to stop
the commission
>of any felony - it then gave a list of felonies, including
embezzlement!
Current SA law on self defence is in a bit of turmoil as our
Government recently ammended that section of legislation (Section
49 of the criminal procedure act). These changes would have made
it almost impossible for even a police officer to shoot a
criminal.
Due to public outcry and threats of action from the police these
changes have not yet been brought into effect and hopefully never
will be.
Section 49 still needs to be rewritten though as it refers to
schedule one offences, any offence whereby the person may be
sentenced to death or life imprisonment by a court. The death
penalty no longer exists here so this reference needs to be
redone.
A couple of brief points from our law.
"Reasonable" force must be used.
All citizens have a duty to enforce the law and arrest criminals.
Lethal force may be used when it is reasonably believed that the
victim's life is in immediate danger.
Lethal force may be used to prevent or stop a schedule one
offence or in making a citizen's arrest of a fleeing perpetrator
of a schedule one offence.
Alex Holmes
South Africa
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