Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, causes any evidence of the commission of that offence to disappear with the intention of screening the offender from legal punishment, or with that intention gives any information respecting the offence which he knows or believes to be false, shall, if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed is punishable with death, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to 10 years, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, and shall also be liable to fine, and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not extending to 10 years, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term of the imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.
Section history
Section 201 — Causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed, or giving false information touching it, to screen the offender. If a capital offence. If punishable with imprisonment for life. If punishable with less than 10 years imprisonment
As in force on 12 November 1993.
Timeline 5 versions
- 30 March 1987 Enacted
- 12 November 1993 You are here
- 1 February 2008 Act 51 of 2007
- 30 November 2008 Revised edition
- 31 December 2021 Revised edition
- 17 August 2026 Latest
Illustration
A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with the intention of screening B from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment for 7 years, and also to fine.