AKP finalizes work on 4th judiciary reform package

ANKARA

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) held a meeting on June 1 chaired by Deputy Vice President Fuat Oktay and finalized its work on the fourth judiciary reform package, daily Hürriyet has reported.

The planned regulations, which have 32 articles, included many topics ranging from increasing the penalty for tax crimes to the upper time limit for judicial control and new criteria in the meeting with a lawyer.

In the draft, a “single penalty” formula will be applied to long-term prison sentences for tax evasion and crimes. Prison sentences given separately for each calendar year for the crime of fake invoices will be included in the chain crime.

Provisions of effective repentance can be applied to these crimes if all taxes and penalties are paid. Reconciliation will be sought in tax procedural crimes. The upper limit will be increased from five years to eight years by increasing the penalty for tax crimes.

The requirement of “concrete evidence” will have to be met to make arrests for catalog crimes. In the judicial control measure of “not leaving the residence,” the elapsed time will be deducted from the execution of the final sentence.

An upper time limit will also be placed on a lawyer’s file review restriction.

An additional criterion will be determined regarding the provisions of the law restricting the right to see a lawyer while in custody.

Appeals against the arrest decisions of justice of the peace judges will be made to the criminal courts.

It will be ensured that the recordings obtained with the protection measure in the detection and interception of the communication will be destroyed, even in case of acquittal.

With the indictment, the decisions to bring the witnesses and complainants by force will also be notified via communication tools such as telephone.

Reasoned decisions in administrative jurisdiction will be written within 30 days at the latest.

Within the scope of an arrest warrant issued to be released, a person caught outside of working hours may be released by the prosecutor, provided that he undertakes to apply to the judicial authorities within a reasonable time.

The judicial control measure will be examined at intervals and the upper time limit will be ensured.