Lesotho
Police Service Act, 1998
Act 7 of 1998
Legislation as at 1 July 1998
There may have been updates since this file was created.
PDF created on 26 September 2025 at 08:54.
View online
About this collection
The legislation in this collection, with facilitation from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel of Lesotho, has been
reproduced as it was originally printed in Lesotho’s Government Gazettes by the Government Printer, with improved
formatting and with minor typographical errors corrected. All amendments have been applied directly to the text
and annotated. A scan of the original gazette of each piece of legislation (including amendments) is available for
reference.
This is a free download from LesLII and is presented in collaboration with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel of
Lesotho and the Laws.Africa Legislation Collection, a collection of African legislation that is digitised by Laws.Africa
and made available for free.
www.lesotholii.org |
www.laws.africa |
FRBR URI: /akn/ls/act/1998/7/eng@1998-07-01
There is no copyright on the legislative content of this document.
This PDF copy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0). Share widely and freely.
i
,Police Service Act, 1998 (Act 7 of 1998)
Contents
Part I – Preliminary ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
1. Short title and commencement .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
2. Interpretation ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Part II – Organisation ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Maintenance of the Police Service ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
3. Establishment and functions of Police Authority .................................................................................................................. 2
4. General functions of police service ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Members of the Police Service ................................................................................................................................................................ 2
5. Appointment and removal of Commissioner .......................................................................................................................... 2
6. Appointment of Deputy Commissioner ..................................................................................................................................... 3
7. Other members of the Police Service ........................................................................................................................................ 3
8. Appointment and promotions ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
9. Absence of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner ........................................................................................................ 3
10. Attestation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
11. Resignation from the Police Service ....................................................................................................................................... 4
12. Delegation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Accountability .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
13. General functions of the Commissioner ................................................................................................................................. 4
14. Provision of information to the Police Authority ................................................................................................................ 4
15. Objectives for policing ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
16. Policing plan .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
17. Development plan ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5
18. Annual report ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
19. Reports by Commissioner to the Police Authority ............................................................................................................. 5
20. Inquiries .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
21. Inspector of Police ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
22. Police Complaints Authority ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
23. Arrangements for obtaining the views of the public on policing ................................................................................. 6
Part III – Powers and duties ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Police officers .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
24. General duties of police officers ............................................................................................................................................... 6
25. Duty to comply with lawful orders .......................................................................................................................................... 7
26. Power and duties in respect of fire ......................................................................................................................................... 7
27. Duties of confidentiality ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
ii
, 28. Private employment ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
29. Power to serve summons, etc. ................................................................................................................................................... 7
30. Saving for other powers and duties ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Commissioner of Police ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8
31. Power of Commissioner to remove police officers ............................................................................................................. 8
32. Saving of pension rights .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
33. Civilians .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Part IV – Finance ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
34. Establishment of Police Finance Council ...................................................................................................................................... 9
35. Proceedings of Council ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9
36. Police grant .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
37. Use of police grant ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
38. Police fund ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
39. Council to account for proper use of police grant ................................................................................................................. 10
40. Audit ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
41. Additional duties of Council ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
42. Surcharge ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Part V – Discipline ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
43. Application of this Part .................................................................................................................................................................... 11
44. Procedure in cases of alleged misconduct of senior officers .............................................................................................. 11
45. Procedure in cases of alleged misconduct of subordinate officers ................................................................................... 11
46. Punishment by the Board ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
47. Punishment by a senior officer ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
48. Stoppage of pay .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
49. Procedure at disciplinary hearing ................................................................................................................................................. 12
50. Appeal to Police Appeals Tribunal ............................................................................................................................................... 13
51. Constitution of the Police Appeals Tribunal ............................................................................................................................. 13
52. Procedure at Police Appeals Tribunal .......................................................................................................................................... 13
53. Interdiction ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
54. Prosecution of offences .................................................................................................................................................................... 14
55. Offences committed outside Lesotho .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Part VI – Offences ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
56. Mutiny, desertion, etc. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14
57. Causing disaffection ........................................................................................................................................................................... 14
58. General offences in relation to the police ................................................................................................................................ 15
iii
Police Service Act, 1998
Act 7 of 1998
Legislation as at 1 July 1998
There may have been updates since this file was created.
PDF created on 26 September 2025 at 08:54.
View online
About this collection
The legislation in this collection, with facilitation from the Office of Parliamentary Counsel of Lesotho, has been
reproduced as it was originally printed in Lesotho’s Government Gazettes by the Government Printer, with improved
formatting and with minor typographical errors corrected. All amendments have been applied directly to the text
and annotated. A scan of the original gazette of each piece of legislation (including amendments) is available for
reference.
This is a free download from LesLII and is presented in collaboration with the Office of Parliamentary Counsel of
Lesotho and the Laws.Africa Legislation Collection, a collection of African legislation that is digitised by Laws.Africa
and made available for free.
www.lesotholii.org |
www.laws.africa |
FRBR URI: /akn/ls/act/1998/7/eng@1998-07-01
There is no copyright on the legislative content of this document.
This PDF copy is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY 4.0). Share widely and freely.
i
,Police Service Act, 1998 (Act 7 of 1998)
Contents
Part I – Preliminary ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 1
1. Short title and commencement .......................................................................................................................................................... 1
2. Interpretation ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Part II – Organisation ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Maintenance of the Police Service ......................................................................................................................................................... 2
3. Establishment and functions of Police Authority .................................................................................................................. 2
4. General functions of police service ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Members of the Police Service ................................................................................................................................................................ 2
5. Appointment and removal of Commissioner .......................................................................................................................... 2
6. Appointment of Deputy Commissioner ..................................................................................................................................... 3
7. Other members of the Police Service ........................................................................................................................................ 3
8. Appointment and promotions ...................................................................................................................................................... 3
9. Absence of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner ........................................................................................................ 3
10. Attestation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
11. Resignation from the Police Service ....................................................................................................................................... 4
12. Delegation ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Accountability .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
13. General functions of the Commissioner ................................................................................................................................. 4
14. Provision of information to the Police Authority ................................................................................................................ 4
15. Objectives for policing ................................................................................................................................................................. 4
16. Policing plan .................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
17. Development plan ........................................................................................................................................................................... 5
18. Annual report ................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
19. Reports by Commissioner to the Police Authority ............................................................................................................. 5
20. Inquiries .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 5
21. Inspector of Police ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5
22. Police Complaints Authority ....................................................................................................................................................... 6
23. Arrangements for obtaining the views of the public on policing ................................................................................. 6
Part III – Powers and duties ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Police officers .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
24. General duties of police officers ............................................................................................................................................... 6
25. Duty to comply with lawful orders .......................................................................................................................................... 7
26. Power and duties in respect of fire ......................................................................................................................................... 7
27. Duties of confidentiality ............................................................................................................................................................... 7
ii
, 28. Private employment ....................................................................................................................................................................... 7
29. Power to serve summons, etc. ................................................................................................................................................... 7
30. Saving for other powers and duties ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Commissioner of Police ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8
31. Power of Commissioner to remove police officers ............................................................................................................. 8
32. Saving of pension rights .............................................................................................................................................................. 8
33. Civilians .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Part IV – Finance ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
34. Establishment of Police Finance Council ...................................................................................................................................... 9
35. Proceedings of Council ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9
36. Police grant .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 9
37. Use of police grant ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
38. Police fund ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10
39. Council to account for proper use of police grant ................................................................................................................. 10
40. Audit ......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10
41. Additional duties of Council ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
42. Surcharge ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 11
Part V – Discipline ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 11
43. Application of this Part .................................................................................................................................................................... 11
44. Procedure in cases of alleged misconduct of senior officers .............................................................................................. 11
45. Procedure in cases of alleged misconduct of subordinate officers ................................................................................... 11
46. Punishment by the Board ................................................................................................................................................................ 12
47. Punishment by a senior officer ...................................................................................................................................................... 12
48. Stoppage of pay .................................................................................................................................................................................. 12
49. Procedure at disciplinary hearing ................................................................................................................................................. 12
50. Appeal to Police Appeals Tribunal ............................................................................................................................................... 13
51. Constitution of the Police Appeals Tribunal ............................................................................................................................. 13
52. Procedure at Police Appeals Tribunal .......................................................................................................................................... 13
53. Interdiction ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
54. Prosecution of offences .................................................................................................................................................................... 14
55. Offences committed outside Lesotho .......................................................................................................................................... 14
Part VI – Offences ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
56. Mutiny, desertion, etc. ....................................................................................................................................................................... 14
57. Causing disaffection ........................................................................................................................................................................... 14
58. General offences in relation to the police ................................................................................................................................ 15
iii
