Criminal Offences
L.R.O.

Current Authorised Pages
Pages Authorised
(inclusive) by L.R.O.
1–7 ..

Act
11 of 1844
Amended by

2 of 1852
2 of 1878
21 of 1887
20 of 1936
3 of 1945
45 of 1979

13 of 2014

LAWS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT
CHAPTER 11:01

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Note on Subsidiary Legislation
This Chapter contains no subsidiary legislation.

Note on Transfer of Provisions
Sections 2A to 2E and section 11 of the Criminal Offences Ordinance, Ch. 4. No. 4 (1950 Ed.)
have been transferred to the Criminal Law Act (Ch. 11:04).

2 Chap. 11:01 Criminal Offences

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Criminal Offences Chap. 11:01 3

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CHAPTER 11:01

CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SECTION
1. Short title.
2. Common law offences.
3. Personation.
4. Breaking out of prison.
5. Attempt to commit indictable offence.
6. Selling unwholesome provisions.
7. Cheat or fraud.
8. Offences under sections 4, 5 and 6.
9. Falsification of accounts.
10. Advertising reward for return of stolen property under certain

conditions.

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1950 Ed.
Ch. 4. No. 4.
11 of 1844.

Commencement.

Short title.

Common law
offences.

Personation.

Breaking out of
prison.
[45 of 1979
13 of 2014].

CHAPTER 11:01

CRIMINAL OFFENCES ACT

An Act to make provision for the punishment of certain
offences.

[22ND JULY 1844]

1. This Act may be cited as the Criminal Offences Act.

2. Every offence which, if done or committed in England,
would amount to an offence at common law shall, if done or
committed in Trinidad and Tobago, be taken to be an indictable
offence, and shall be liable to be and shall be punished in the
same manner as it would be in England, under or by virtue of any
special or general statute providing for the punishment of such
offence, or, if there be no such statute, by the common law.

3. Any person who falsely and deceitfully personates any
person, or the heir, executor, administrator, wife, widow, next of
kin or relation of any person, with intent fraudulently to obtain
any land, estate, chattel, money, valuable security or property, is
liable to imprisonment for five years; but nothing in this section
shall prevent any person from being proceeded against and
punished under any other Act or at common law in respect of any
offence punishable as well under this section as under any other
Act or at common law.

4. Any person who is convicted of any of the following
offences, that is to say:
(a) breaking out of any prison in which such person

is detained under sentence for any indictable
offence or on suspicion thereof;

(b) the rescue of, or attempt to rescue or set at
liberty, any person convicted of any capital
offence going to execution or during execution;

4 Chap. 11:01 Criminal Offences

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Criminal Offences Chap. 11:01 5

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Attempt to
commit
indictable
offence.

Blasphemy.
Blasphemous
libel.
Bribery.
Conspiracy.
Escape.
Breaking prison.

Rescue.

Gaming-house.
Bawdy-house.
Disorderly
house.
Challenge.
Sedition.
Seditious libel.
Obscene print.
[45 of 1979].

Selling
unwholesome
provisions.
Public nuisance.

Cheat or fraud.

Conspiracy to
defraud.

(c) the rescue of, or aiding or assisting in the rescue
of, any person convicted of an indictable
offence, or of any person charged with or
suspected of, or committed for any indictable
offence or on suspicion thereof, where the
person so charged, suspected or committed is
afterwards convicted of the indictable offence,

is liable to a fine of one hundred thousand dollars and
imprisonment for five years.
5. Any person who is convicted of any of the following
offences, that is to say, any attempt to commit a common law
offence or an offence made indictable by any statute or Order in
Council of the United Kingdom or any Act in force in Trinidad and
Tobago at the time of such attempt being made; blasphemy, writing
and publishing, or printing and publishing, any blasphemous libel;
bribery, conspiracy, escape, or aiding or assisting in, or voluntarily
or negligently permitting any escape; breaking out of any prison in
which such person shall be lawfully detained on any civil process,
or under sentence for any indictable offence, or to which such
person has been committed on any charge of an indictable offence;
any rescue of, or attempt to rescue, any person,when such offence
is not punishable as an arrestable offence; keeping a common
gaming-house, or common bawdy-house, or a common ill-
governed and disorderly house; sending any challenge with intent
to provoke, or otherwise endeavouring to provoke, any person to
commit a breach of the peace; sedition; writing and publishing or
printing and publishing, any seditious libel, or publishing any
obscene print, writing or picture; every such offender is liable to a
fine and to imprisonment for two years.
6. Any person who is convicted of any of the following
offences, that is to say, wilfully and knowingly selling any
unwholesome provisions, or any nuisance of a public nature is
liable to a fine and to imprisonment for one year.
7. Any person who is convicted on indictment of any of the
following offences, that is to say, any cheat or fraud punishable
at common law; any conspiracy to cheat or defraud, or to extort
money or goods, or falsely to accuse of any crime, or to obstruct,

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Escape or
rescue.

Indecent
exposure.

Indecent books,
etc.
[45 of 1979].

Offences under
sections 4, 5
and 6.

Falsification of
accounts.

Advertising
reward for
return of stolen
property under
certain
conditions.

prevent, pervert or defeat the course of public justice; any escape
or rescue from lawful custody on a criminal charge; any public
and indecent exposure of the person; any public selling or
exposing for public sale or to public view of any obscene book,
print, picture or other indecent exhibition, is in respect of any of
the above convictions liable to imprisonment for any term
warranted by law, and also to be kept to hard labour during the
whole or any part of such term of imprisonment.

8. All and every act or acts which, if done or committed in
England, would, according to the law of England, amount to or
constitute any of the offences specified in sections 4, 5 and 6,
shall be held to amount to and constitute the same offence in
Trinidad and Tobago.

9. Any clerk, officer or servant, whether in the public
service or otherwise, who wilfully, and with intent to defraud,
removes, conceals, destroys, alters, mutilates or falsifies any
book, paper writing, valuable security, or account which belongs
to or is in the possession of the Government or of his employer,
or has been received by him for or on behalf of the Government
or of his employer, or who wilfully, and with intent to defraud,
makes or concurs in making any false entry in, or omits, or alters,
or concurs in omitting or altering, any material particular from or
in any such book, or any document or account, is liable to
imprisonment for five years.

10. Any person who publicly advertises a reward for the
return of any property which has been stolen or lost, and in such
advertisement uses any words purporting that no questions will
be asked, or makes use of any words in any public advertisement
purporting that a reward will be given or paid for any property
which has been stolen or lost, without seizing or making enquiry
after the person producing such property, or who promises or
offers in any such public advertisement to return to any
pawnbroker or other person who may have bought or advanced
money, by way of loan, upon any property stolen or lost, the
money so paid or advanced or any other sum of money or reward

6 Chap. 11:01 Criminal Offences

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Criminal Offences Chap. 11:01 7

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for the return of such property, or any person who prints or
publishes any such advertisement, in any of the above cases shall
forfeit the sum of two thousand dollars for every such offence to
any person who sues for the same by action of debt, to be
recovered with full costs of suit.

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