Deputies will receive proposals to improve the Penal Code, but there are no plans to postpone its entry into force

Santo Domingo.– The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Alfredo Pacheco, reported this Tuesday that the legislative body will open a process to receive proposals for amendments to the new Penal Code from different sectors of society, while indicating that, for the moment, an extension of the vacatio legis of the regulation is not foreseen.

During a press conference alongside the spokespersons of the different parliamentary groups represented in the Chamber of Deputies, Pacheco explained that there are still more than 20 days left in the current legislative session, so any initiative will be evaluated during that period.

Likewise, he added that the possibility of modifying the deadline for the entry into force of the Code is not ruled out, but it will depend on the course of the legislative work and, if necessary, on an eventual extraordinary call by the Executive Branch.

“There are twenty-something days left in the open legislative session and we will be evaluating it. If it is necessary, it will be granted; and if it is not necessary and we resolve it before then, well, no,” the legislator expressed when answering questions from journalists.

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Pacheco stated that the Dominican Republic will have a new Penal Code during the first week of August, describing it as a historic reform that modernizes criminal legislation, strengthens the fight against crime, and provides the State with legal tools in line with current challenges.

He explained that the new legislation incorporates more than 70 new criminal offenses that were not adequately covered in the current legal framework.

Among them, he mentioned the use of the so-called “devil’s acid,” related femicide, contract killing, pyramid schemes, and the criminal liability of legal entities, in addition to other measures aimed at combating corruption, organized crime, violence, and technological crimes.

In that sense, he announced that specific and duly substantiated proposals will be received from academies, professional guilds, civil society organizations, justice system operators, and interested citizens.

“Our commitment is to deliver to the Dominican Republic the best possible Penal Code, the result of legislative work, but also of democratic dialogue and the superior interest of the nation,” he expressed.

Likewise, he assured that there will be no restrictions on receiving observations regarding the regulations and that all proposals will be analyzed with technical rigor and a sense of State by the legislators.