Belize Criminal Code Chapter 101 of The Law of Belize Revised Edition 2020 PDF

CRIMINAL CODE CHAPTER 101 OF THE LAW OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2020 PART 3 OFFENCES AGAINST PROPERTY  Section 132 (1) A person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property belonging to another intending to destroy or damage any such property or being reckless as to whether a...

CRIMINAL CODE CHAPTER 101 OF THE LAW OF BELIZE REVISED EDITION 2020 PART 3 OFFENCES AGAINST PROPERTY  Section 132 (1) A person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property belonging to another intending to destroy or damage any such property or being reckless as to whether any such property would be destroyed or damaged shall be guilty of a crime. (2) A person who without lawful excuse destroys or damages any property, whether belonging to himself or another – (a) intending to destroy or damage any property or being reckless as to whether any property would be destroyed or damaged; and (b) intending by the destruction or damage to endanger the life of another or being reckless as to whether the life of another would be thereby endangered, commits a crime. (3) A crime committed under this section by destroying or damaging property by fire or by any explosive matter shall be charged as arson.  Section 133 A person who without lawful excuse makes to another a threat, intending that that other person would fear it would be carried out – (a) to destroy or damage any property belonging to that other or a third person; or(b) to destroy or damage his own property in a way which he knows is likely to endanger the life of that other or a third person, commits a crime.  Section 134. A person who has anything in his custody or under his control intending without lawful excuse to use it or cause or permit another to use it – (a) to destroy or damage any property belonging to some other person; or (b) (b) to destroy or damage his own or the user’s property in a way which he knows is likely to endanger the life of some other person, commits a crime.  Section 135 -(1) A person who commits arson as chargeable under section 132(3) is liable – (a) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for life,. (b) on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years. (2) A person who commits an offence under section 132 (2) is liable to imprisonment for life. (3) A person who commits any other offence under this Title is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years and on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years. (4) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the offence chargeable under section 132(3) as arson may, at the discretion of the Director of Public Prosecutions, be tried summarily  Section 136 -(1) This section applies to any crime under section 132 (1) and any crime under section 133 or section 134 o t h e r t h a n o n e i n v o l vi ng a t h r e a t b y t h e p e r s o n c h a r g e d t o d e s t r o y o r d a m a g e p r o p e r ty i n a w a y w h i c h h e k n o w s i s l i k e l y t o e n d a ng e r t h e l i f e o f a n o t h e r o r i n v o l vin g a n i n t e n t b y t h e p e r s o n c h a r g e d t o u s e o r c a u s e o r p e r m i t t h e u s e o f s o m e t hi n g i n h i s c u s t o d y o r u n d e r h i s c o n t r o l s o a s t o d e s t r o y o r d a m a g e p r o p e r ty. ( 2 ) A p e r s o n c h a r g e d w i t h a c r i m e t o w h i c h t h i s s e c t i o n a p p l i e s s h a l l , w h e t he r o r n o t h e w o u l d b e t r e a te d f o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f t h i s T i t l e a s h a v i n g a l a w f u l e x c u s e a p a r t f r o m t h i s s u b s e c ti o n , b e t r e a te d f o r t h o s e p u r p o s e s a s h a v i n g a l a w f ul e x c u s e – ( a ) i f a t t h e t i m e o f t h e a c t o r a c t s a l l e g e d t o c o n s t i t ute t h e c r i m e h e b e l i e ve d t h a t t h e p e r s o n o r p e r s o n s w h o m h e b e l i e ve d t o b e e n t i tl e d t o c o n s e n t t o t h e d e s t r uc ti o n o f o r d a m a g e t o t h e p r o p e r ty i n q u e s t i o n h a d s o c o n s e n t e d, o r w o u l d h a v e s o c o n s e n t e d t o i t i f h e o r t h e y h a d k n o w n o f t h e d e s t r u c ti o n o r d a m a g e a n d i t s c i r c u ms ta nc e s ; o r ( b ) i f h e d e s t r o y e d o r d a m a g e d o r t h r e a te n e d t o d e s t r o y o r d a m a g e t h e p r o p e r ty i n q u e s t i o n o r i n t h e c a s e o f a c h a r g e o f a c r i m e u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 3 4 o f t h i s A c t , i n t e n de d t o u s e o r c a u s e o r i n t h e c a s e o f a c h a r g e o f a c r i m e u n d e r s e c t i o n 1 3 4 o f t h i s A c t , i n t e n de d t o u s e o r c a u s e o r p e r m i t t h e u s e o f s o m e t hi n g t o d e s t r o y o r d a m a g e i t , i n o r d e r t o p r o t e c t p r o p e r ty b e l o n g i n g t o h i m s e lf o r a n o t h e r o r a r i g h t o r i n t e r e s t i n p r o p e r ty w h i c h w a s o r w h i c h h e b e l i e ve d t o b e v e s t e d i n h i m s e l f o r a n o t h e r, a n d a t t h e t i m e o f t h e a c t o r a c t s a l l e g e d t o c o n s t i tu te t h e c r i m e h e b e l i e ve d –  Section 136 Cont. (i) that the property, right or interest was in immediate need of protection; and (ii) that the means of protection adopted or proposed to be adopted were or would be reasonable having regard to all the circumstances. (2) For the purpose of this section it is immaterial whether a belief is justified or not if it is honestly held. (3) For the purpose of sub -section (2) a right or interest in property includes any right or privilege in or over land, whether created by grant, licence or otherwise. (4) This section shall not be construed as casting doubt on any defence recognised by law as a defence to criminal charges.  Section 137 (1) In this Title “property” means property of a tangible nature, whether real or personal, including money and – ( a ) i n c l udi n g w i l d c r e a t u re s w h i c h h a v e b e e n t a m e d o r a r e o r d i n a ri l y k e p t i n c a p t i vit y, a n d a n y o t h e r w i l d c r e a t ur e s o r t h e i r c a r c a s s e s i f , b u t o n l y i f , t h e y h a v e b e e n r e d u c e d i n t o p o s s e s s i o n w h i c h h a s n o t b e e n l o s t o r a b a n do n e d o r a r e i n t h e c o u r s e o f b e i ng r e d u c e d i n t o p o s s e s s i o n ; b u t ( b ) n o t i n c l udi n g f l o w e r s , f r u i t s o r f o l i a g e o f a p l a n t g r o w i n g w i l d o n a n y l a n d. ( 2 ) P r o p e r ty s h a l l b e t r e a t e d f o r t h e p u r p o s e s o f t h i s T i t l e a s b e l o n g i ng t o a n y p e r s o n – ( a ) h a v i ng t h e c u s t o d y o r c o n t r o l o f i t ; ( b ) h a v i ng i n i t a n y p r o p r i e t a ry r i g h t o r i n t e re s t ( n o t b e i n g a n e q u i t a bl e i n t e re s t a r i s i n g o n l y f r o m a n a g r e e me nt t o t r a n s f e r o r g r a n t a n i n t e re st ); o r (c) having a charge on it. ( 3 ) W h e r e p r o p e r ty i s s u b j e c t t o a t r u s t , t h e p e r s o n s t o w h o m i t b e l o n g s s h a l l b e s o t r e a te d a s i n c l udi ng a n y p e r s o n h a v i n g a r i g ht t o e n f o r c e t h e t r u s t. ( 4 ) P r o p e r ty o f a c o r p o r a t i o n s o l e s h a l l b e s o t r e a te d a s b e l o n g i ng t o t h e c o r p o r a t i o n n o t w i ths ta ndi ng a v a c a n c y i n t h e c o r p o r a t i o n.  Section 138 In this Title “damage” includes not only damage to the matter of a thing, but also the interruption of the use thereof or any interference therewith by which the thing becomes temporarily useless, or by which expense is rendered necessary in order to render the thing fit for the purposes for which it was used or maintained.