Criminal Code of the Republic of Hungary
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Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code1 With a view to protecting inviolable and inalienable human rights, to defending the independence and territorial integrity of the country, and to protecting the nation’s economic and financial interest, taking into account Hungary’s international legal commitments as well as European Union policies, in order to enforce the State’s exclusive jurisdiction in criminal matters, Parliament has adopted the following Act: GENERAL PART CHAPTER I BASIC PROVISIONS Principle of Legality Section 1 (1) Criminal liability may be established only in connection with a conduct that a legal instrument requires to be criminalized at the time when committed, with the exception of acts which are punishable under universally acknowledged rules of international law. (2) A penalty or measure may not be imposed for a criminal offense that was not criminalized by legal instrument at the time when committed, or - in the case provided for in Subsection (2) of Section 2 - at the time when adjudicated. CHAPTER II JURISDICTION IN CRIMINAL MATTERS Temporal Scope Section 2 (1) Subject to the exceptions set out in Subsections (2)-(3), criminal offenses shall be adjudicated under the criminal law in effect at the time when they were committed. (2) Where an act is no longer treated as a criminal offense, or if it draws a more lenient penalty under the new criminal law in effect at the time when it is adjudicated, this new law shall apply. 1 Promulgated on 13 July 2012. 1 (3) The new criminal law shall apply with retroactive effect in connection with acts which are punishable under universally acknowledged rules of international law, if such acts did not constitute a criminal offense under Hungarian criminal law at the time when they were committed. Territorial and Personal Scope Section 3 (1) Hungarian criminal law shall apply: a) to criminal offenses committed in Hungary; b) to criminal offenses committed on commercial ships or watercraft sailing, or aircraft flying under Hungarian flag outside the territory of Hungary; c) to any act of Hungarian citizens committed abroad, which are criminalized in accordance with Hungarian law. (2) Hungarian criminal law shall, furthermore, apply: a) to any act committed by non-Hungarian citizens abroad, if: aa) it is punishable as a criminal offense under Hungarian law and in accordance with the laws of the country where committed, ab) it is recognized as an offense against the State, excluding espionage against allied armed forces, regardless of whether or not it is punishable in accordance with the law of the country where committed, ac) it constitutes a criminal act under Chapter XIII or XIV, or any other criminal offenses which are to be prosecuted under international treaty ratified by an act of Parliament; b) to any act committed by non-Hungarian citizens abroad against a Hungarian national or against a legal person or unincorporated business association established under Hungarian law, which are punishable under Hungarian law. (3) In the cases described in Subsection (2) criminal proceedings are opened by order of the Prosecutor General. CHAPTER III CRIMINAL LIABILITY Criminal Offenses Section 4 (1) ‘Criminal offense’ means any conduct that is committed intentionally or - if negligence also carries a punishment - with negligence, and that is considered potentially harmful to society and that is punishable under this Act. (2) An ‘act harmful to society’ means any activity or passive negligence which prejudices or presents a risk to the person or rights of others, or the fundamental constitutional, economic or social structure of Hungary provided for in the Fundamental Law. Section 5 2 Criminal offences may be classified as felonies and misdemeanors. Felony is a crime committed intentionally which is punishable under this Act by imprisonment of two or more years. Every other criminal offense is a misdemeanor. Plurality of Offenses and Cumulative Offenses Section 6 (1) ‘Multiple counts of offenses’ means when one or more acts committed by the same person result in more than one crime and they are adjudicated in the same proceedings. (2)2 Multiple counts of offenses shall not cover a cumulative offense committed by a repetition of acts of the same kind, against the same victim, motivated by a single objective, and which may occur in brief intervals. Intent Section 7 A criminal offense is committed with intent if the person conceives a plan to achieve a certain result, or acquiesces to the consequences of his conduct. Negligence Section 8 ‘Negligence’ means when a criminal offense is committed where the perpetrator is able to anticipate the possible consequences of his conduct, but carelessly relies on their non-occurrence, or fails to foresee such possible consequences through conduct characterized by carelessness and neglectfulness. Responsibility for the Result as an Aggravating Circumstance Section 9 The more severe consequences attached to the result as a qualifying circumstance of the crime may be applied if the perpetrator is at least charged with negligence in respect of the result. Attempt Section 10 (1) Any person who carries out an act with intent to commit a premeditated crime, without finishing it, shall be punishable for attempt. (2) The sentence applicable to a completed criminal act shall also apply to attempt. 2 Enters into force as under Subsection (1) of Section 318 of Act CCXXIII of 2012. 3 (3) The penalty may be reduced without limitation or dismissed altogether if the attempt has been carried out on an unsuitable subject, with an unsuitable instrument or by way of unsuitable means. (4) Any person: a) who voluntarily withdraws from the completion of the criminal act, or b) who attempts to prevent the crime on his own volition, shall not be prosecuted for attempt. (5) If in the case provided for in Subsection (4) the attempt in itself constitutes another crime, the perpetrator shall be liable for prosecution for that crime. Preparation Section 11 (1) If it is expressly prescribed by this Act, any person who provides the means necessary for committing a criminal offense or facilitating that, and who invites, volunteers or undertakes to commit a crime, or agrees to commit a crime in league with others shall be punishable for preparation. (2) Any person: a) who voluntarily withdraws from the commencement of the criminal act, b) who withdraws his invitation, offer, undertaking with a view to avoiding the perpetration, or attempts to pursue other contributors to withdraw from the criminal activity, provided that the commencement of the perpetration of the criminal offense does not take place for any reason, or c) who reports to the authority the preparation before commencement of the perpetration of the criminal offense, shall not be prosecuted for preparation. (3)3 If in the case provided for in Subsection (2) the preparation in itself constitutes another crime, the perpetrator shall be liable for prosecution for that crime. The Perpetrator Section 12 ‘Perpetrator’ means the principal, the covert offender and the coactor (hereinafter referred to as “parties to a crime”), as well as the abettor and the aider (hereinafter referred to collectively as “accomplices”). Section 13 (1) Perpetrator is a person who actually commits a criminal act. (2) Covert offender is a person who instigates the commission of an intentional offense by using a person who cannot be prosecuted for reason of minority or insanity, of for reason of acting under undue influence by coercion or duress, or under misconception. (3) Coactor is a person who knowingly and voluntarily participates in a criminal act jointly with others, in full knowledge of each others activities. 3 Enters into force as under Subsection (2) of Section 318 of Act CCXXIII of 2012. 4 Section 14 (1) Abettor is a person who intentionally persuades another person to commit a crime. (2) Accomplice is a person who knowingly and voluntarily helps another person to commit a crime. (3) The penalties applicable to parties to a crime shall also apply to accomplices. CHAPTER IV GROUNDS FOR TOTAL OR PARTIAL EXEMPTION FROM CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY Section 15 The perpetrator may be totally or partially exempted from criminal responsibility, or an act may be fully or partly exempted from criminalization on the following grounds: a) being below the age of criminal responsibility; b) insanity; c) coercion and threat; d) mistake; e) justifiable defense; f) means of last resort; g) statutory authorization; h) other grounds defined by law. Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility Section 16 Persons under the age of fourteen years at the time the criminal offense was committed shall be exempt from criminal responsibility, with the exception of homicide [Subsections (1)-(2) of Section 160], voluntary manslaughter (Section 161), battery [Subsection (8) of Section 164], robbery [Subsections (1)-(4) of Section 365] and plundering [Subsections (2)-(3) of Section 366], if over the age of twelve years at the time the criminal offense was committed, and if having the capacity to understand the nature and consequences of his acts. Insanity Section 17 (1) Any person who has committed a criminal act in a state of impairment of the mind of a character such that it is impossible for the person so afflicted to understand the nature and consequences of his acts, shall not be prosecuted. (2) The penalty may be reduced without limitation if the state of impairment of the perpetrator’s mind is of a character such that it is difficult for him to understand the nature and consequences of his acts. 5 Section 18 The provisions of Section 17 shall not apply to persons who engage in criminal activity under self-inflicted influence by alcohol or narcotic drugs. Coercion and Threat Section 19 (1) Any person who has committed a criminal act under undue influence by coercion or threat, depriving him of the capacity to act according to his own free will shall not be prosecuted.