Recomandările Comisiei de la Veneția privind CP și CPP

Recomandările Comisiei de la Veneția privind CP și CPP

Comisia de la Veneția a anunțat pe 19 octombrie că a adoptat două avize referitoare la România.

În prima, Comisia își exprima îngrijorarea față de amendamentele la Codul Penal și la Codul de Procedură Penală, precizând că ar putea slăbi grav eficacitatea sistemului de justiție în lupta împotriva corupției, infracțiunilor violente și crimei organizate.  În a doua, a adoptat cu câteva amendamente avizul preliminar emis în iunie privind proiectele de lege care amendează statutul judecătorilor și procurorilor, organizarea judiciară și CSM-ul.

Redau principalele recomandări anunțate către autoritățile române în comunicatul transmis1.

Criminal Procedure Code

·         to thoroughly review the amending law as a whole to ensure that the reform will not have a negative impact on the functioning of the criminal justice system.

·         While all the amendments should be thoroughly reviewed, to amend in substance the rules on communication on on-going criminal investigations (Article 4), starting a criminal investigation (Article 305), evidentiary thresholds and inability to use certain forms of evidence (Articles 139, 143, 153, 168), and the right to be informed of and participate in all prosecution acts (Articles 83 and 92)

·         to reconsider the final and transitional provisions.

Criminal Code

·         to reconsider and amend the provisions regulating corruption-related offences, in particular bribery (Article 290) – the Opinion stresses that the draft amendment would discourage bribe givers from co-operating with law enforcement -, influence trading and buying (Articles 291 and 292), embezzlement (Article 295) and abuse of service (Article 297);

·         to reconsider and amend some other provisions with a more general impact, such as those on the statute of limitations (Articles 154-155) – according to the Opinion, the proposed amendment creates a high risk that in complex cases the crimes at issue be time–barred before the investigation and trial can be carried out-, false testimony (Article 273) and compromising the interests of justice (Article 277 CC);

·         to reconsider and amend the provisions on extended confiscation measures (Art. 112¹) and the definition of public servant (Art. 175), ancillary penalties (Article 65), in order to bring them in line with the country’s international obligations.

1. Venice Commission, 2018, 19th of October, Proposed reform of criminal justice legislation in Romania weakens the fight against corruption and other serious crimes according to Venice Commission, https://search.coe.int/directorate_of_communications/Pages/result_details.aspx?ObjectId=09000016808e718e [↩]