[Sidenote: Indemnity clause.] 9. Whereas various murders are alleged to have been committed in connection with unlawful societies, and various persons have been arrested and detained in custody in connection therewith; Now it is hereby enacted that all persons who were before the commencement of this Ordinance concerned in the arrest or detention in custody of such arrested persons are hereby fully indemnified for anything done by them in the arrest or detention in custody of such arrested persons, and no action at law or otherwise shall be maintained for such arrested persons having been so arrested and detained in custody, and no writ of _habeas corpus_ shall be issued on their behalf. [Sidenote: Extent of Ordinance.] 10. This Ordinance shall apply to the Colony and Protectorate. Passed in the Legislative Council this Thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand nine hundred and twelve. F. A. MILLER, Clerk of Legislative Council. * * * * * [Sidenote: Title.] An Ordinance to constitute Special Commission Courts for the trial of persons charged with offences committed in connection with unlawful societies. NO. 18 OF 1912 [Sidenote: Preamble.] Whereas there exist in the Colony and Protectorate certain unlawful societies formed for the purpose of committing murders; And whereas many murders have recently been committed under the influence of such unlawful societies; And whereas, owing to the number of these murders, it is expedient to try all persons charged with offences committed in connection with such unlawful societies by a special tribunal; [Sidenote: Enacting Clause.] Be it therefore enacted by the Governor of the Colony of Sierra Leone, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:— [Sidenote: Short Title.] 1. This Ordinance may be cited as the Special Commission Ordinance, 1912. [Sidenote: Special Commission Court.] 2.—(1) The Governor may from time to time direct a commission or commissions to be issued for the appointment of a Court or Courts of Special Commissioners for the trial in manner provided by this Ordinance of persons, committed for trial before the Supreme Court of the Colony or the Circuit Court of the Protectorate, for any of the following offences committed in the Colony or Protectorate, whether before or after the commencement of this Ordinance; that is to say, (_a_) murder, committed in connection with an unlawful society; (_b_) attempting or conspiring to commit murder in connection with an unlawful society; [Sidenote: No. 28 of 1909.] (_c_) any of the offences under Section 2 of the Human Leopard and Alligator Societies Ordinance, 1909, or under any Ordinance amending that Ordinance;