The amendments give judges the power to independently prolong detention for a suspect, first by two months and then by another three months, which means that a suspect could spend six months in detention at the most.
The bill also envisages the collection of evidence via audio-video conferences and expands the existing set of criminal acts by introducing bribery, abuse of office, and cyber crime.
At the proposal of the club of national minorities and the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS) the parliament declared a debate on the final bill on the election of representative bodies of local and regional government in the third reading.
The parliament adopted a government report on the execution of the state budget in the first half of this year and a report on the implementation of the national strategy for drug abuse prevention for 2005.
The MPs endorsed a report on the implementation of the Constitutional Law on National Minorities' Rights and the spending of funds intended for national minorities in 2005.
The parliamentary majority supported a decree postponing the implementation of the Law on Food until 2009. The law binds food manufacturers and suppliers to establish a system of self-control (HACCP) to check food hygiene and safety.
The parliament adopted annual reports of the Commission on the Conflict of Interest, the councils for science and higher education, and the Fund of Croatian Homeland War Soldiers and their Families.
It sent into second reading a government bill on local and regional government and a bill on youth councils.
The Opposition, not including the Party of Rights (HSP), refused to vote on members of the National Council in charge of supervising the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Programme.
Deputies of the Social Democratic Party, the People's Party and the Peasant Party were unhappy with HSP deputy Ruza Tomasic having been appointed chairwoman of the Council. They do not consider the HSP the true opposition because the HSP has supported the government during the adoption of the budget.
The parliament will continue its sitting next week.