Important changes to the Criminal Procedure Code
Parliament has finally adopted at the second reading the amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). A key novelty is the introduction of judicial review of the 72-hour detention ordered by a prosecutor. The change is expected to enter into force within one month of its publication in the "State Gazette".
Law enforcement agencies are now required to explicitly inform suspects of their legal rights.
Basic rights of suspects:
- Right to a lawyer and legal aid;
- Right to oral and written translation in case of a language barrier;
- Right to remain silent.
What was dropped from the bill?
The deputies rejected the paragraphs related to the control over the actions of the ad hoc prosecutor investigating the Prosecutor General. Also dropped were the texts amending the Judicial System Act, which provided for a Supreme Court of Cassation judge to exercise supervisory functions over the magistrate investigating the Prosecutor General.