Section 27: Detention for offences related to terrorism

27. Detention for offences related to terrorism (1) Where any person is arrested under reasonable suspicion of having committed any offence under section 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 or 15, a police officer not below the rank of Superintendent of Police may, subject to this section, direct that the person arrested be detained in police custody for a period not exceeding 36 hours from his arrest, without having access to any person other than a police officer not below the rank of Inspector, or a Government Medical Officer and, in any such case, that person shall be detained accordingly. (2) No direction under subsection (1) shall be made unless the Police officer has reasonable grounds to believe that giving access to any person other than the Police officer not below the rank of Inspector or the Government Medical Officer specified in that subsection— (a) will lead to interference with or harm to evidence connected with an offence under section 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 or 15, or to interference with, or physical injury to, other persons; or (b) will lead to the alerting of other persons suspected of having committed such an offence but not yet arrested for it; or P27 – 14 (1) [Issue 9] Prevention of Terrorism Act (c) will hinder the tracking, search and seizure of terrorist property. (3) As soon as a direction is issued under subsection (1), the person detained shall be informed that he may, if he so wishes, be examined by a Government Medical Officer. [S. 27 amended by s. 10 (2) (b) of Act 37 of 2003 w.e.f. 22 November 2003.]