ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Wednesday adopted amendments to the Penal Code, including a provision under which possession of small quantities of illegal drugs for personal use is treated as an offence and not a
crime. Fifty-eight MPs of the ruling coalition parties voted for the amendments, except 12 Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) deputies who voted against and seven who abstained. All opposition MPs left the parliament hall before the vote. Vladimir Seks said on behalf of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) he would lodge a constitutional complaint because the amendments referred to an organic law and could not have been adopted without a majority vote of 76 MPs. Social Democrat Mato Arlovic, who chaired the session, declared the amendments adopted with the explanation that the changes in question did not require a majority vote and that the HDZ could refer to the Constitutional Court. The thr
ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament on Wednesday
adopted amendments to the Penal Code, including a provision under
which possession of small quantities of illegal drugs for personal
use is treated as an offence and not a crime.
Fifty-eight MPs of the ruling coalition parties voted for the
amendments, except 12 Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) deputies who
voted against and seven who abstained. All opposition MPs left the
parliament hall before the vote.
Vladimir Seks said on behalf of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ)
he would lodge a constitutional complaint because the amendments
referred to an organic law and could not have been adopted without a
majority vote of 76 MPs.
Social Democrat Mato Arlovic, who chaired the session, declared the
amendments adopted with the explanation that the changes in
question did not require a majority vote and that the HDZ could
refer to the Constitutional Court.
The three-hour debate on 44 amendments was marked by the HSS'
objection to the decriminalisation of the possession of small
amounts of drugs for personal use. The HDZ, the Croatian Bloc, and
the family committee were also against this provision.
The parliamentary majority adopted it, endorsing the government's
position that this change will take the weight off courts'
shoulders and put an end to the criminalisation of young people for
using drugs.
The amendments to the Penal Code will go into force on December 1,
instead of September 1, following the adoption of a government
amendment.
The changes introduce harsher sentences for grave crimes, the
maximum being life imprisonment.
Failure to pay salaries within a time frame prescribed by law and
refusal to re-employ workers despite a final court decision will
also be punished more harshly, with jail terms of up to two years.
The changes introduce considerably harsher sentences for cyber
crime in keeping with the International Convention on Cyber Crime.
Unauthorised use of other people's data and sending malicious
computer programmes from now on will be considered crimes.
Judges and judicial officials can be prosecuted for violating the
Law on Criminal Procedure.
(hina) ha sb