PiS starts petition to toughen criminal code

The right-leaning Law and Justice (PiS) party has started gathering signatures in support of its amendment to the criminal code which would introduce more severe punishments aimed at reducing crime. Although the petition is not necessary from a procedural point of view, as the party has already submitted the proposal in the form of a deputies' draft, PiS hopes to raise 100,000 signatures to highlight the importance of the issue. Under the proposal, a life sentence with no possibility of parole and confiscation of criminals' property would be introduced, as would new limitations on prisoners' ability to get temporary prison leaves. The success of the action seems probable, as some 90% of Poles supported a similar amendment proposed by the current PiS leader, Lech Kaczynski, while he was justice minister. (Zycie, pp. 1, 5) M.K.