Senator Ramon Rogelio Genao (PRSC-La Vega) promptly resubmitted the Penal Code as received from the Chamber of Deputies to the Senate floor on day 1 of the reopening of legislative sessions — 16 August 2021. The bill had to be resubmitted because it had expired after not having passed in two consecutive legislative terms. Genao had lobbied for the senators to pass the bill as received from the Chamber of Deputies. He expressed his optimism the bill would be passed in the next 30 days. He said it has spent 22 years under study by the legislators.
The country’s chief prosecutors had objected the Senate pass the bill as received from the Chamber of Deputies. President Luis Abinader defended their stand. Experts point to numerous omissions, ambiguities and contradictions that would favor criminals if the bill is passed as received from the lower house.
Senator Antonio Taveras Guzmán (PRM-Santo Domingo) is also optimistic the Senate will complete the review of the Penal Code within the next 20 days in time to return the bill to the Chamber of Deputies for passing.
The Penal Code is just one of around 25 bills that are regarded as urgent and have stagnated for years in the Congress.
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N Digital
17 August 2021