Friday, January 09, 2009

Czech Senate passes penal code

Prague - The Czech Senate today in accordance with expectations passed a new penal code that lowers the age of criminal liability and legal sexual intercourse to 14 from 15 as of next year.

The Senate proposed no modifications to the legislation which the lower house passed late last year. Nevertheless, Justice Minister Jiri Pospisil, who worked the bill out, has promised to help prepare an amendment to it to change the age limit that has been criticised by some politicians and experts.

"Either the deputies or the government will submit a draft amendment to parliament, that would open the issue of the age limit for both legal sex and criminal liability," Pospisil (Civic Democrats, ODS) said.

The promise was demanded by ministers for the junior ruling Christian Democrats (KDU-CSL) as a condition for them to support the penal code. In the vote today, the draft was supported by 74 of the 76 senators present. The legislation is to modernise the Czech penal law and replace the code from 1961, which tends to protect collective-related values," said Pospisil. The new code puts emphasis on the "protection of life, health, dignity, honour and property of our citizens," he said.

The code, which is yet to be signed by the president, divides criminal deeds into crimes and offences. The latter category comprises the deeds punishable with five years in prison at the most.

Prison punishments for serious crimes against life and health are toughened, becoming three to five years longer. The institution of home internment is introduced for minor offences, partially replacing suspended sentences. The code also reckons with the establishment of special institutes for sexual deviants and psychopaths. It introduces a number of new crimes such as stalking, certain types of doping in sport and negligence towards animals.

It distinguishes murder from intentional killing, for the sake of women who killed their partners who tyrannised them.

Přečtěte si v češtině na ČTK:

Senát schválil nový trestní kodex

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