[Handwriting: First she was ordered to be stoned, she got pregnant while her
husband was not living with her, she is from Nuba Mountains - hardly speaks Arabic No lawyer attended. --- scrach --- Judgment ordered from Public Order Court]
Number: M A\ A S G\1188\2012
“The accused has the right to defend himself personally or through a lawyer of his
choice, and has right to the government assistance in providing legal aid for him if he
is unable to defend himself”, as it mentions in Article 35\3 that reads: “if the
defendant is accused of a crime punishable by 10 years imprisonment, or more, or
amputation, or death is underprivileged, then the Attorney General, upon request of
the defendant, is obligated to assist his counsel and the government covers expenses
in whole or in part”. Adding that the data was insufficient, and the guilty plea was
incorrect. He added that the convict had retracted her plea, and that pregnancy was not
viable evidence if she wasn’t married, and if the other defendant refuted her statement,
the Hudd is therefore not applicable. The matter-of-fact of the claim was concluded in
a complaint to the district attorney by the defendant’s sister, claiming that the
defendant was pregnant, and had found her in the dwelling of another lady named
(Errisala). After the complaint was recorded and the three defendants who were; the
first defendant Lutfi Aburroos Jaber, Intisar Sharif Abdalla and Errisala Khamis
Mellaki, were arrested. After questioning them the investigation file was referred to
trial. Following the hearing the prosecution, the criminal claim against the first
defendant was acquitted for lack of evidence against him. It later came to be known
that the third defendant deceased to the mercy of god, therefore the criminal claim
against her was dropped. A week later the defendant Intisar was indicted and pled
guilty according to the provision of Article 144 of the Criminal Code 1991. The court
stayed the decision and released the defendant. The defendant was addressed with the
indictment for the second time and pled guilty. Thereafter was the decision of the
court of the subject-matter.
As a matter-of-fact Article 135(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act 1991 provides that
the defendant has the right to an attorney or advocate, and paragraph 3 replaces
Article 193 of Criminal Procedure Act 1983 that provides that if the defendant was
accused of a crime punishable by 10 years imprisonment or more, or death, or
amputation - while underprivileged, then it falls on the Attorney General - by burden to appoint a legal counsel at the request of the defendant. The objective of this
provision is to state the necessity of having a lawyer to represent a defendant accused
of a crime with severe punishment, particularly those who are unable to defend
themselves. It is also clear that the crime in the matter of this claim is punishable by
death, and is bestowed by the subject-matter court upon the defendant. I could not
find any indication that the court demanded a lawyer from the defendant or offered to
provide one through the Attorney General if the defendant is underprivileged, to
advocate for the defendant. This fact, no doubt, cancels the conviction and the penalty