PS Prepared Motion to Constitutional Court to Examine Penal Code Amendment

Bratislava, February 19 (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party has prepared a motion for the Constitutional Court to review the amendment to the Penal Code, Tereza Mikacova from the PS media department told TASR on Monday, adding that like President Zuzana Caputova, the party is asking for its effectiveness to be suspended. According to Parliamentary Vice-Chair Michal Simecka (PS), the amendment can't enter into force even for a single day, otherwise it'll cause irreversible damage to society. The party has at its disposal the necessary 30 MPs to submit the motion. "The opposition submission of the motion makes sense precisely because the future president will have the opportunity to withdraw the current president's submission. This way we'll ensure that the Constitutional Court will decide on the amendment, no matter who becomes the future president," said Simecka, adding that PS offers other opposition parties the opportunity to join their initiative. Simecka considers it to be absurd that the governing coalition is asking the president to veto the amendment. "They openly confirm that they approved a bad law only to guarantee impunity for themselves and their people. They don't care about Slovakia," he pointed out, adding that the Constitutional Court is the only one that can decide on the constitutionality of the amendment and the process of its approval. According to PS vice-chairwoman and MP Lucia Plavakova, there was no law in Slovak history where the reasons for suspending its effectiveness were as urgent and pronounced as in the case of the Penal Code. She pointed out that the effects on the detection and prosecution of crimes will be irreversible and will also have retroactive effects. The amendment to the Penal Code was approved by MPs in a fast-tracked procedure. It envisions the scrapping of the Special Prosecutor's Office, the shortening of penal rates and statutes of limitations, and the reduction of the limit of damages for property crime. Caputova announced on Friday that she'll question the amendment to the Penal Code at the Constitutional Court. At the same time, the president will ask the court to suspend the effect of the bill until it issues its verdict on it. am/mcs