Section 222: Penalty for murder and infanticide

222. Penalty for murder and infanticide (1) Any person who is convicted of— (a) murder or murder of a newly born child, shall be sentenced to penal servitude for life or, where the Court is satisfied that substantial and compelling circumstances exist which justify the imposition of a lesser sentence and has entered those circumstances on the record of the proceedings, for a term not exceeding 60 years; (b) attempt at murder or attempt at murder of a newly born child, shall be liable to penal servitude for life or, where the Court is satisfied that substantial and compelling circumstances exist which justify the imposition of a lesser sentence and has entered those circumstances on the record of the proceedings, for a term not exceeding 60 years. (2) Any woman guilty of infanticide shall be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding 35 years. (3) Any woman guilty of attempt at infanticide shall be liable to penal servitude. [S. 222 reprinted by Reprint 2 of 1983; amended by Act 31 of 1995; s. 4 (1) (b) of Act 6 of 2007 w.e.f. 18 June 2007.]