Africa - Police and Human Rights Resources

Angola	Constitution 2010 Penal Code Ministerial Decree on the Angola National Police 1993 [Portuguese] National Security Law 2002 [Portuguese] National Police Discipline Regulations 1996 [Portuguese]
Benin	Constitution 1990: Title II: Rights and Duties of the Individual Code of Criminal Procedure 1967, as amended in 2010 [French]
Botswana	Constitution 1966, revised in 2005: Chapter II: Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual Penal Code 1964 Police Act 1979 Public Order Act 1967 Prisons Act 1979
Burkina Faso	Constitution (Art. 2) Disciplinary Regulations for the Armed-Forces (2008) Disciplinary Regulations for the National Police (2012) Law No. 023-2003/AN on Domestic Security
Burundi	Constitution (Art. 26) Law No. 1/04 of 27 June 2016 on the Protection of Victims, Witnesses and Other Persons at Risk Penal Code 2009 Penal Procedure Code 2000 Police Code Burundi 2005
Cameroon	Constitution (excerpts of preamble) Criminal Procedure Code 2005 Decree No. 75/700 on the General Discipline in the Armed Forces Maintenance and Order of Assemblies 1990
Cape Verde	Constitution Penal Code 2003
Central African Republic	Constitution (Art. 3) Penal Code 2007
Chad	Constitution (Arts. 17, 18)
Comoros	Code of Criminal Procedure 1970 Constitution (Preamble) Penal Code 1981
Congo (Republic of the)	Constitution (Art. 7) Organic Law on Police 2011 Decree 002/2002 on the institution, organization, and functioning of the Congolese National Police
Cote d’Ivoire	Constitution (Art. 2) Statute of Personnel of National Police 2001
Democratic Republic of Congo	Code of Criminal Procedure 1959 Constitution (Art. 16) Decree Regulating Demonstration and Public Meetings 1999 Penal Code 1940
Djibouti	Code of Penal Procedure Constitution (Art. 10) Penal Code 1995
Equatorial Guinea	Constitution (Item 13) Penal Code 1963
Eritrea	Constitution (Art. 15)
Ethiopia	Constitution (proclamation no. 1/1995) Code of Criminal Procedure (proclamation no. 185/1961) Criminal Code (proclamation no. 414/2004) Federal Prisons Commission Establishment Proclamation no. 365/2003 A Proclamation no. 652/2009 on Anti-Terrorism A Proclamation no. 720/2011 to Provide for the Establishment of the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission A Proclamation no. 644/2016 to Provide for the Amendment of the Ethiopian Federal Police Commission Establishment Proclamation Federal Police Officers Administration Council of Ministers Regulation no. 268/2012
Gabon	Constitution (Art. 1) Code of Criminal Procedure 1961 Penal Code 1963
Gambia	Constitution 1996, revised 2004: Chapter IV: Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedom; Chapter XII: The Police Force and Prison Service Criminal Code (Act No. 25 of 1933): Section 15 (necessity) and 15A (use of force in effecting arrest); Chapter IX: Unlawful Assemblies, Riots and Other Offences against Public Tranquility
Ghana	Constitution (Art. 13) Police Order Act 1994
Guinea (Republic of)	Code of Conduct of Defence Forces 2011 Code of Criminal Procedure 1998 Constitution (Art. 6) Criminal Code 1988 Decree No. 169/2013 on the Structure and Mission of the National Police Personnel Deontological Code of the National Police1998
Guinea-Bissau	Constitution (Arts. 36-37)
Kenya	Constitution 2010 (Chapter 4: The Bill of Rights) National Police Service Act No. 11A/2011 as amended through 2016 Public Order Act 2003 (CAP. 56) Penal Code 2009 (CAP. 63) Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act 2012 (CAP. 88) Prisons Act 1962 (CAP. 90) as amended through 2016 Prevention of Torture Act (No. 12 of 2017)
Lesotho	Constitution (Art. 5) Criminal Procedure and Evidence (Amendment) Act 1998 Penal Code Act 2010 Police Service Bill 1997
Liberia	Constitution (Art. 20) Criminal Procedure Law 1969 Penal Code 1976 (Title 26)
Madagascar	Consitution (Art. 8) Police Service Regulations 1963
Malawi	Consitution (Art. 16) Criminal Procedure and Evidence Code 2003 Penal Code 1930
Mali	Code of Criminal Procedure 1962 Constitution (Art. 1) Penal Code 1961
Mauritania	Code of Criminal Procedure 1984 Penal Code 1984
Mauritius	Constitution (Section 4) Criminal Code 1838, as amended in 2006 Police Act 1974
Mozambique	Constitution (Art. 40) Police Statute 1999
Namibia	Constitution (Art. 6) Correctional Service Act No. 5008/2012 Criminal Procedure Act No. 3358/2004 Police Act 1990 Prisons Act No. 1894/1998
Niger	Constitution (Art. 12) Penal Code 1961, as amended in 2003 Penal Procedure Code 1961, as amended in 2004
Nigeria	Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 Constitution (Section 33) Constitution 1999 Criminal Procedure (Northern State) Act 1960 Criminal Procedure Act 1945 Criminal Procedure Act 1990 Force Order 237 Penal Code (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act 1960 Police Act 2004 Police Service Commission Act 2001 Prisons Act 1972 Public Order Act 1979 Public Order (Amendment) Bill 2006
Rwanda	Constitution (Art. 12) Criminal Procedure Code 2003 Law No. 9/2000 on Establishment,General Organisation and Jurisdiction of National Police (Title5) Organic Law instituting the Penal Code 2012 Organic Law governing Political Organisations and Politicians 2007 Presidential Order 155 on Statutes Governing National Police 2002
Sao Tomé and Principe	Constitution (Art. 21)
Senegal	Code of Criminal Procedure 1965 Code of Discipline in the Armed Forces 1990 Constitution (Art. 7)
Seychelles	Code of Criminal Procedure 1955 Constitution (Art. 15) Penal Code 1955
Sierra Leone	Constitution (Art. 16) Corporal Punishment Act 1953 Criminal Procedure Acts 1965 National Drugs Control Act 2008 Public Order Act 1965
Somalia	Constitution (Art. 13) Criminal Procedure Code 1962 Law No. 2/1972 on the Organization of the Police Prison Law 1971 Public Order Law 1963
South Africa	Constitution Correctional Services Act No. 111/1998, as amended in 2011 Criminal Procedures Act No. 51/1977, as amended in 2014 Independent Police Investigative Directorate Act 2011 National Instruction on Public Order Police 2012 Policing Standards 2008 Regulation of Gatherings Act No. 205/1993 Safety at Sports and Recreational Events Act 2010 South African Territory Penal Code No. 24/1886
South Sudan	Constitution (Art. 11) Criminal Procedures Code 2008 Penal Code Act 2008 Police Service Act 2009 Prisons Act 2003
Sudan	Constitution (Art. 28) Criminal Procedure Code 2003 National Security Act 2009 (excerpt) Penal Code 2003 Police Act 2003 Police General Regulations 2003 Prisons Act 2003 Public Order Act 1998
Swaziland	Constitution 2005: Chapter III: Protection and Promotion of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms; Article 57 Law Enforcement Objectives; Chapter IX: Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commission on Human Rights and Public Administration; Article 189 The Police Service
Tanzania	Constitution (Art. 14) Criminal Procedure Act 1985 Penal Code 1945 Prisons Act 1967 Refugee Act 1998 The Police Force and Auxiliary Services Act 1953 The Witchcraft Act 1928
Togo	Constitution (Art. 13) Criminal Code 1980 Criminal Procedure Code 1960 National Police Act Togo 2008
Uganda	Constitution (Art. 22) Penal Code Act 1950 Police Act 1994 Prisons Act 2006 Public Order Management Bill 2011
Zambia	Constitution (Art. 12)
Zimbabwe	Constitution (Art. 48) Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, as amended in 2002 Prisons Act 1956 (Title 7; Chapter 7:11) Public Order and Security Act (Chapter 11:17), as amended in 2007

DISCLAIMER

The documents listed are not supposed to present an exhaustive collection of all domestic legislation covering the topic of policing and human rights. It cannot be guaranteed that they represent the most current and up-to-date information. Furthermore, they are not presented as good practices nor their inclusion on this website should be understood as a judgment of (or an appreciation for) State compliance with international human rights standards. These documents are collected for the sole purpose of facilitating research for any individual or organisation working on policing issues.

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Congo (Republic of the)

Cote d’Ivoire

Democratic Republic of Congo

Djibouti

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea (Republic of)

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Sao Tomé and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Swaziland

Tanzania

Togo

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe

DISCLAIMER