2021News

Special committee to review Penal Code in Senate; revised Code also submitted in Chamber of Deputies

A special Senate committee is again entrusted with reviewing the Penal Code that had passed in the Chamber of Deputies after 11 months of review. The chair of the committee is Santiago Zorilla (PRM-El Seibo). Other members are Faride Raful (PRM-National District), Aris Iván Lorenzo (PLD-Elias Piña), Antonio Taveras (PRM-Santo Domingo), Franklyn Romero (PRM-Duarte), Virgilio Cedano (Fuerza del Pueblo-La Altagracia), Pedro Catrain (PRM-Samana), Ramon Rogelio Genao (PRSC-La Vega) and Dionis Sanchez (Fuerza del Pueblo-Pedernales).

The bill has been criticized for including special military courts for criminal charges against the military, discrimination clauses, not including the three grounds for abortion, relieving political parties from criminal responsibility, and several ambiguous and contradictory clauses that would make prosecution difficult.

When it was received from the Chamber of Deputies, many senators were in favor of its quick passage. At deadline, the Senate decided to let the bill expire. Once the senate sessions resumed, Ramón Rogelio Genao. Martín Nolasco Vargas, Milcíades Franjul, Cristóbal Castillo, Virgilio Cedano Cedano and Félix Bautista resubmitted the bill.

On the other hand, 12 deputies submitted a revised Penal Code for review in the Chamber of Deputies. The revised version incorporates amendments to improve the combatting of corruption in government, including added penal responsibility for political parties. The Chamber of Deputies bill also included recommendations made by the Attorney General Office regarding the protection of children and women in situations of violence.

The deputies submitting the revised document were: Magda Rodríguez Azcona (PLD), Aida Nilsa López Reyna de Ceballos (PLR), Ivannia Rivera Núñez (FP), Santiago Vilorio Lizardo (PRM), Ignacio Aracena (PRM), Lily Germania Florentino (PRM), Félix Santiago Hiciano (PRM), Juan Dionicio Rodríguez Restituyo (FA), Bolívar Ernesto Valera Ariza (PLD), César Santiago Rutinel Domínguez (PRM), Pedro Martínez (AlPAÍS) and José Horacio Rodríguez (AlPAÍS).

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El Caribe

20 August 2021