Criminal
A 1968 penal code with a 24-hour police detention limit
The Penal Code of 1968 remains in force with heavy amendment, and the 2006 Code of Criminal Procedure governs process. Police may detain for 24 hours, and any longer deprivation requires a court order on the prosecutor's request.
Key rules
- Police detention is capped at 24 hours before judicial involvement.
- Remand in custody is ordered by the court and reviewable at any time.
- Pre-trial investigation is led by the prosecutor, who alone frames the indictment.
- Plea agreements approved by the court may dispose of most categories of case.
Governing law
- Penal Code (1968)Nakazatelen kodeks, extensively amended.
- Criminal Procedure Code (2005)In force 2006.
- Ministry of Interior Act (2014)Powers of detention.
Penalties and consequences
- Fines and probation with supervision measures.
- Imprisonment, generally up to 20 years and exceptionally 30.
- Life imprisonment, with and without the possibility of substitution.
In practice
The accusatory monopoly of the prosecution means a victim cannot force a prosecution, and the ECtHR's Kolevi line of cases is what drove the 2023 mechanism for investigating the Prosecutor General.