Duty to Assist Law Enforcement and Right to Compensation in Tanzania: What the Law Says.

Your Duty to Assist Law Enforcement and Your Right to Compensation in Tanzania.

In Tanzania, the law not only gives rights to citizens but also places certain responsibilities on them, especially when it comes to maintaining law and order. Under the Criminal Procedure Act [CAP. 20 R.E. 2022], sections 36 and 37 set out important rules about helping the police and magistrates and receiving compensation if you are harmed in the process. Here’s what you need to know:

Duty to Assist Magistrates and Police Officers (Section 36).

Every citizen has a legal obligation to assist law enforcement officers when requested. According to the law:

• You are bound to assist a magistrate or police officer who reasonably demands your help:

          -In arresting someone or preventing an arrested person from escaping.

         -In stopping a breach of the peace (such as riots or fights) or preventing damage to public property like railways, canals, telegraph lines, or any other public assets.

This means that if a police officer or magistrate asks you for reasonable help during an arrest or while preventing violence or damage, you are legally required to assist.

Right to Compensation for Injuries, Loss, or Death (Section 37).

The law also recognizes that helping the police can sometimes put you at risk. That’s why it provides for compensation if you are harmed:

• If you suffer material loss, personal injury, or death while helping a magistrate, police officer, or other law enforcement officer to stop a crime or arrest someone:

You (or your family, if you die) are entitled to receive compensation.

• The amount of compensation and the process for claiming it must follow the existing laws dealing with compensation for crime victims.

• The funds for paying compensation will be provided as prescribed by those laws.

In short, if you assist law enforcement and suffer harm or loss because of it, you or your dependants have a legal right to be compensated fairly.

Conclusion

In Tanzania, helping the police or a magistrate when asked is not optional — it is a legal duty. However, if you suffer any harm while fulfilling this duty, the law ensures that you or your family are entitled to proper compensation. Knowing these provisions helps you understand both your responsibilities and your rights under the law.