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In force2021 Revised Edition

Act

Criminal Procedure Code

The code of criminal procedure

In plain English

Not legal advice

The Criminal Procedure Code sets up a code of criminal procedure. The Code is read subject to Article 84C of the Constitution of Brunei Darussalam, and gives no court power to hear the proceedings that article refers to. Proceedings before a court may be recorded by mechanical means, such as equipment that works digitally or electronically. A court that imposes a fine may give up to half of it to an informer.

Summary · Drafted with AI, checked against the official text on 30 Sep 2026.

Chapter 1

Official textFrom Attorney General's Chambers, unchanged

(1)

This Act may be cited as the Criminal Procedure Code and is generally referred to in this Act as "this Code".

(2)

(Repealed).

(3)

For the avoidance of doubt, this Code shall be read subject to

Article 84C of the Constitution of Brunei Darussalam, and nothing in this

Code shall be construed as conferring on any court any jurisdiction or power to entertain any proceedings referred to in Article 84C of the Constitution of

Brunei Darussalam.

(1)

In this Code, unless the context otherwise requires -

"bailable offence" means an offence shown as bailable in

Schedule 1 to this Code or which is made bailable by any other written law for the time being in force;

"Chief Justice" means the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for Brunei Darussalam;

"Commissioner of Police" means the Commissioner of

Police, Royal Brunei Police Force;

"complaint" means the allegation made orally or in writing to a Magistrate with a view to his taking action under this Code that some person whether known or unknown has committed or is guilty of an offence;

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Criminal Procedure Code

"Court" means the High Court and a Court of a Magistrate;

"Court of Appeal" means the Court of Appeal of the Supreme

Court for Brunei Darussalam;

"District Officer" includes, where the context so permits, a

Dato Penghulu, a Penghulu and a Ketua;

"fine" includes any fine, pecuniary penalty or forfeiture or compensation adjudged upon any conviction of any crime or offence or for the breach of any written law for the time being in force by any Court in Brunei Darussalam;

"High Court" means the High Court of the Supreme Court for

Brunei Darussalam;

"inquiry" includes every inquiry conducted under this Code before a Magistrate;

"Judge" means a Judge of the Supreme Court and includes, where the context so permits, the Chief Justice;

"judicial proceedings" means any proceedings in the course of which evidence is or may be legally taken;

"Magistrate" means a Magistrate appointed by His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan under the Subordinate Courts

Act (Chapter 6) or under any written law;

"medical officer" means a registered medical practitioner employed by Government and if no such oficer is available then any other duly registered medical practitioner or any hospital assistant authorised by the Director-General of

Medical Services either generally or for any specific purpose to exercise the functions of a medical officer under this Code;

"non-bailable offence" means an offence other than a bailable offence;

"non-seizable offence" means an offence for which and

"non-seizable case" means a case in which a police oficer may not ordinarily arrest without warrant according to the third column of Schedule 1 or under the provisions of any other written law for the time being in force;

"offence" means any act or omission made punishable by any other written law for the time being in force;

"officer in charge of a police district or police station" means the officer appointed to perform the duties of that office and when such officer is absent therefrom or unable from illness to perform his duties, the police officer present and acting in the district or station who is next in rank below such officer;

"place" includes a house, building, tent and vessel;

"Police District" means any area which has been constituted a police district by regulations made under the Royal Brunei

Police Force Act (Chapter 50), and unless and until districts are so constituted means an ordinary administrative district;

"police officer" means any member of the Royal Brunei

Police Force, and includes a special police officer when mobilised or deemed to be mobilised for active service and any person vested under any written law with the powers of a police officer;

"postal article" means any letter, postcard, book, document, pamphlet, sample parcel or package or other article whatsoever transmitted by post;

"Registrar" means the Chief Registrar, a Deputy Chief

Registrar, a Senior Registrar or a Registrar of the Supreme

Court and includes a Deputy or Assistant Registrar;

"Religious Enforcement Officer" has the same meaning assigned to it under the Syariah Courts Act (Chapter 184);

[S 7/20] 91

"seizable offence" means an offence for which, and "seizable case" means a case in which, a police officer may ordinarily arrest without warrant according to the third column of

Schedule 1 or under the provisions of any other written law for the time being in force;

"summons case" means a case relating to an offence not being a warrant case;

"Supreme Court" means the Supreme Court of Brunei

Darussalam established by the Supreme Court Act

(Chapter 5);

"warrant case" means a case relating to an offence punishable with death or with imprisonment for a term exceeding 6 months;

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Criminal Procedure Code

"youthful offender" includes any child convicted of an offence punishable by fine or imprisonment who, in the absence of legal proof to the contrary, is above the age of 7

years and under the age of 18 years in the opinion of the

Court before which such child is convicted.

(2)

Words which refer to acts done extend also to illegal omissions.

(3)

All words and expressions used herein and defined in the

Penal Code (Chapter 22) and not hereinbefore defined are deemed to have the meanings attributed to them by that Code.

(4)

The marginal notes of this Code shall not affect the construction thereof.

(1)

All offences under the Penal Code (Chapter 22) shall be -

(a)

inquired into according to -

(i)

the provisions of this Code; or

(ii)

the provisions of the Syariah Courts Criminal

Procedure Code Order, 2018 (S 912018) to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Code; and

(3)

tried according to the provisions of this Code.

(2)

All offences under any other laws shall be inquired into and tried according to the provisions of this Code, subject to any written laws for the time being in force regulating the manner or place of inquiring into or trying such offences.

(3)

For the purposes of subsection (l)(a), a Religious

Enforcement Officer shall have all the powers of a police officer under this

Code.

s 4Saving of powers of Supreme Court

Nothing in this Code shall be construed as derogating from the powers or jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.

Part

Constitution and Powers of Criminal Courts

Chapter 11

Part

General Provisions

Chapter 111

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Part

Prevention of Offences

Chapter VII

Chapter VIIL

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter X

Chapter X I

Part

Information to Police and Their Powers to Investigate

Chapter XIII

Part

Proceedings in Prosecutions

Chapter X7V

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Chapter XVII

Chapter XVIII

Chapter X

Chapter X H

Chapter XX

Chapter XXI

Chapter XXII

Chapter XX7I1

Chapter XXIV

Chapter XXV

Chapter XXVII

Part 7

Chapter XXLX

Part 8

Part 9

Chapter XXXVI

Chapter XL

Chapter XLI

Part

Jurisdiction of Court of Appeal

Chapter XLII

Chapter XLIII

Chapter XLIV

Chapter XLV

Schedules