NCJ Number
199199
Date Published
2002
Length
95 pages
Annotation
This booklet, one of a series that describes criminal justice systems of countries in Europe and North America, profiles the criminal justice system of Croatia, including criminal and procedural law, plans for reform, and statistics on crime and criminal justice.
Abstract
A chapter on demographic issues includes information on Croatia's geographic location, population size, non-native populations, the minimum age of criminal responsibility (14 years), urbanization, and the unemployment rate. A chapter on substantive criminal law statutes notes that the current Croatian Criminal Code was enacted in 1997 and became operational on January 1, 1998. A chapter on procedural law statutes indicates that the Criminal Procedure Act now in force was enacted at the same time as the Criminal Code and also became operative on January 1, 1998. A chapter then outlines Croatia's court system and the enforcement of criminal justice. This is followed by a chapter that presents the fundamental principles of Croatia's criminal law and procedure. The main principle of Croatian criminal law is that criminal offenses and criminal sanctions should be prescribed only for acts that threaten or violate personal liberties and human rights, as well as other rights and social values guaranteed and protected by the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and international law. A chapter on the organization of criminal investigations and criminal procedure includes descriptions of the organization of detection and investigation, the organization of the prosecution agency, the organization of the courts, the bar and legal council, and the position of the victim. Other chapters focus on sentencing and the system of sanctions, conditional and suspended sentences and probation, and the prison system and the aftercare of released inmates. A chapter on plans for reform notes that efforts continue to focus on harmonizing the criminal justice system with constitutional principles and international law. The latter focus includes attention to transnational organized crime, "cybercrime," and the International Criminal Court. The concluding chapter presents statistic on Croatia's crime and criminal justice operations. A 26-item bibliography and appended questionnaire used to standardize information on the criminal justice systems described in this series