The special committee in charge of reviewing the Penal Code in the Senate approved to pass the Penal Code as received from the Chamber of Deputies. The senators met in a virtual meeting after senator Santiago Zorilla (PRM-El Seibo) reported sick with Covid-19. Of nine senators, five voted in favor, two against and two did not participate in the virtual meeting.
It looks like the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party (PRM) senators have agreed with the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) senators to pass the Penal Code as received from the Chamber of Deputies. If the Senate does not pass the bill it would expire and have to return to the Chamber of Deputies again, as the legislature ends this week. The new legislature reopens on 16 August 2021.
The bill as received from the Chamber of Deputies is controversial. Among the issues is the reinstatement of a clause that would enable criminal charges against military to be heard in military courts. This had been removed from the Penal Code but the provision was again reinstated in the revision carried out by the Chamber of Deputies. The military courts have been known to be lenient to the military. At present the regular judiciary is hearing the case of the Major General Adan Cáceres accused of major corruption. If the Penal Code as passed in the Chamber of Deputies is approved, this case could be heard by a military court and the military accused in the case would then be sent to military jails.
Senator Antonio Taveras Guzmán (PRM-Santo Domingo) had said there is no time to pass the Penal Code before the legislature expires this week. The code has 400 articles. The bill moved to the Senate in late June. Others in favor of the leaving of the bill for the next legislature were senators Faride Raful (PRM-National District), Pedro Catrain (PRM-Samana) and Ginette Bournigal (PRM-Puerto Plata).
Senator Antonio Marte (PRM-Santiago Rodriguez) had said the bill should be approved on Tuesday, 3 August. Marte says that it should pass now, even if it is later revised, as reported in N Digital.
Senator Ivan Lorenzo (PLD-Elias Piña) had stated there was no time to pass the bill before the end of the legislature.
The bill needs a two-thirds majority to pass in the Senate. It would then move to the Presidency for enacting into law. The PRM is majority in the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, but does not have two-thirds majority.
Read more in Spanish:
N Digital
N Digital
Listin Diario
3 August 2021