Senate president Ricardo de los Santos (PRM-Sanchez Ramirez) assured on Monday, 15 July 2024 that he is confident the Penal Code will be approved before the deadline on 26 July. He said the country will then have a modern legal framework adapted to contemporary times, as reported in El Dia.
De los Santos said that currently, deputies and senators are firmly committed to providing the country with a more efficient and fair legal framework.
He trusts once the bill is approved in the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate will have sufficient time to review and analyze the amendments and approve it.
“We haven’t crafted a perfect Penal Code, but the current law governing the country dates back to 1884 and urgently needs updating to include new criminal offenses,” said the Senate president.
He highlighted that the Penal Code project has incorporated 72 new criminal offenses and increased maximum penalties to 60 years, aiming to ensure more appropriate justice in the country.
Critics of the Penal Code that passed in the Senate say the bill is lax in its treatment of corruption and abuses by government officials, including legislators, the military and the church. It also is rife with clauses that violate women’s and children’s rights.
Read more in Spanish:
El Dia
16 July 2024