ZAGREB, July 11 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament voted on Thursday on a set of previously discussed bills, and adopted, among others, a new law on misdemeanours.
ZAGREB, July 11 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament voted on Thursday
on a set of previously discussed bills, and adopted, among others, a
new law on misdemeanours. #L#
The new law no longer includes the category of transgression, which
will be punished with misdemeanour sanctions.
Under the law, children under the age of 14 and mentally incompetent
persons will not be subject to misdemeanour proceedings, except in
cases when they themselves have caused mental incompetence (drug
and alcohol abuse, etc.)
Misdemeanours will be punished with fines or prison sentences, and
the law also envisages warning and prevention measures.
Fines are set at 300 to 10,000 kuna for physical persons, and at
2,000 to 100,000 for legal persons. Fines for economic
transgressions can amount to one million kuna.
Prison sentences range between three and 30 days, and the most
serious misdemeanours will be punished with sentences of up to 60
days.
Despite the government's opposition, the MPs adopted an amendment
by the Croatian Democratic Union's (HDZ) Jadranka Kosor removing
from the law the regulation enabling the police to search
apartments or cars without court warrants and the presence of a
witness.
It was estimated that such a solution was contrary to the
Constitution, which provides for a search without a warrant in case
of a criminal act, but not in case of a misdemeanour.
The parliament also adopted changes to the Law on the Prevention of
Drug Abuse, which re-introduces the possibility of misdemeanour
proceedings against persons possessing narcotics, with fines of
between 5,000 and 20,000 kuna.
The parliament endorsed a bill by the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS)
in the first reading regulating the flour market, as well as a bill
on community service.
(hina) rml