BRATISLAVA, July 26, (WEBNOVINY) – Members of Parliament will lose penal immunity. MPs will only have impunity for their statements made in Parliament and in parliamentary bodies, for their voting, and even after their mandate expires. This stems from the amendment to the Slovak Constitution and the follow-up amendment to the Penal Code, which all 144 deputies present unanimously supported on Thursday.
MPs will keep a certain advantage over ordinary citizens. Consent of Parliament will be needed for their arrest and their remand in custody if caught committing an offense will require the consent of the Mandate and Immunity Committee. Otherwise, they would be released immediately.
This change will not influence judges of the Constitutional Court and their penal immunity remains. The consent of the Constitutional Court is required in order to prosecute them or take them to custody. Speaker of Parliament
Pavol Paska (SMER-SD) estimates that in the fall once all Judicial Council members are elected, they will together with representatives of the Constitutional Court and the justice minister arrive at a consensus and pen a draft amendment to the Constitution to repeal judges’ immunity, too.
After President Ivan Gasparovic signs the amendments into law, parliamentary deputies will lose the immunity as of September 1 of this year. On this date Slovakia will mark the twentieth anniversary of adoption of the Slovak Constitution.
SITA