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\fs24\lang1033\langfe1033\cgrid\langnp1033\langfenp1033 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 IN THE HIGH COURT OF FIJI
\par AT SUVA
\par CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 CRIMINAL CASE NO: HAC009 OF 2001S
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 STATE
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid15681551 V}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 LEONE LAUTABUI;
\par JONASA TONAWAI; }{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid14038592 and
\par }{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 SEMESA ROKO
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par Ms White & Mr Tunidau for State
\par Mr Veretawatini for 1st Accused
\par Mr Rabo for 2nd Accused
\par Mr Vere for 3rd Accused
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 R}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid15681551 ULIN}{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 G}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par The prosecution invites me to withdraw the defence of compulsion from the assessors on the ground that on an objective tes
t, there is insufficient evidence that each accused committed the offences while under a continuing threat of death or grievous harm, for the assessors to consider.
\par 
\par Section 16 of the Penal Code provides:
\par 
\par }\pard \ql \li720\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin720\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 \'93A person is not criminally responsible for an off
ence if it is committed by two or more offenders, and if the act is done or omitted only because during the whole of the time in which it is being done or omitted the person is compelled to do or omit to do the act by threats on the part of the other offe
nder or offenders instantly to kill him or to do him grievous bodily harm if he refuses; but threats of future injury do not excuse any offence.}{\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid15681551  }{
\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 Although in other jurisdictions, the defence is not available f
or the offences of murder or attempted murder, section 6 of our Penal Code makes no exception and is therefore available in principle for these offences.\'94
\par }\pard \ql \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
\par The test relevant for this defence in common law jurisdictions is both objective and subjective, 1) was the threat such as to cause a sober reasonable person of reasonable fairness sharing the defendant\rquote 
s characteristics and placed in the same situation to act in the same way as the defendant acted? and 2)was the defendant in fact compelled to commit the offences?
\par 
\par However, a direction to the assessors strictly along the lines laid down in section 16 of the Penal Code and that is whether there was an irresi
stible and imminent threat to life placing the accused in an inescapable dilemma, was approved by the Court of Appeal in }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 Prakash Wati Amos & Others -v- R}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551  Crim. App. 41 of 1986.
\par 
\par In }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 Amos}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551  the matter was left to the assessors although in the words of the Court of Appeal, the defendant Ralulu, 
\'93had ample opportunity to escape from his predicament earlier in the evening\'94, and it was clearly left to the assessors in }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 Chaudhar Masih Hilmuk -v- R}{
\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551  (1963) CA 9 FLR 92.
\par 
\par In this case the accused have all denied that in 
fact they had an opportunity to escape from Nimacere, and in all the circumstances the question of whether or not there was such an opportunity, given the individual characteristics of each accused, the presence of firearms, the darkness, and the presence
 of the surrounding villages and bushland is a matter for the assessors.
\par 
\par The application to withdraw \'93compulsion\'94 from the Assessors is refused.
\par 
\par }\pard \qc \li0\ri0\nowidctlpar\wrapdefault\faauto\rin0\lin0\itap0\pararsid15681551 {\b\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 Nazhat Shameem
\par }{\b\ul\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 JUDGE}{\lang2057\langfe1033\langnp2057\insrsid12457919\charrsid15681551 
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\par At Suva
\par 1st February 2002
\par }}