By 
The Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Honourable Ziyambi Ziyambi informed the nation of the progress being made towards Amendment of the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act to safeguard the rights and freedom of children.
Speaking during cabinet briefing this Tuesday, Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi shared government commitments towards protecting and safeguarding children rights and freedoms as accorded by the Constitution of Zimbabwe.
The government has considered and approved the Principles on the Amendment of the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act. Constitutional rights and freedoms of children below the age of 18 being incorporated in the Criminal Law Codification Act to protect children from exploitation.
“Cabinet reports that the principles seek to amend the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act by incorporating the Constitutional definitions of a child and provisions on marriage. Furthermore, that provisions for compliance with the Constitution be made for all sexual offences on sections 70, 76, 83 and 86 of the Act.
“Section 61 of the Criminal Law Codification Reform Act, under Part 111 of Chapter V (Sexual Crimes and Crimes Against Morality) defines young person as a “boy or girl under the age of sixteen years.” The implications of Section 61 of the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act is that it creates a category of children (those between 16 and 18 years of age) in relation to sexual offences, who do not enjoy the same protection as afforded to all children as intended by Section 81 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which defines every boy or girl below the age of 18 as a child.
“The amendment proposes that provisions be incorporated in the Act which define the close in age gap between minors and/or an adolescent to avoid criminalizing consenting minors or a minor and an adolescent whose age range cannot be considered predatory or exploitative,” said Minister Ziyambi.
Comments