Penal Code changes for reducing violent crime discussed yesterday in Sejm

Yesterday the Sejm discussed 11 amendments to the Penal Code submitted by the government, President Aleksander Kwasniewski as well as parliamentary deputies. └In accordance with common sense, the increase in serious crime should be followed by more severe penalties, combined with simplification of the procedures intended to accelerate legal proceedings,■ remarked Justice Minister Lech Kaczynski. When asked about capital punishment, Kaczynski commented, ⌠It is necessary to discuss this issue, yet there is no possibility to bring capital punishment back due to Poland's international agreements.■ The proposed amendments envisage more severe penalties for rape, manslaughter, and theft. The opposition took the opportunity to criticize the government for allocating too little money for the police, the courts, as well as prisons, outlays which are the prerequisite, it argues, for reducing crime. (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1,5) A.Z.