KABUL - Afghanistan on Saturday launched a revised draft version of the Penal Code, a collection of 33 relevant laws, after some amendments and correction in some of its provisions.
Second Vice President (VP) Mohammad Sarwar Danish, who attended the launch ceremony here, called the Penal Code preparation “a huge achievement” by the unity government.
The VP said the penal code was a great development in the sphere of law and legislation of the country. “The Afghanistan Penal Law and Civil Law are 40 years old now and given the fact that criminal provisions scattered in different codes result in conflicts between laws, there was a need to compile all criminal sentences into a single code.”
Danish said: “It is an innovation for Afghanistan as Penal Codes exist only in a few countries. It is a huge breakthrough in the country’s legal system. Implementation of the revised code at judiciary organs will make the proceedings transparent and easy. ”
Minister of Justice Abdul Basir Anwar also spoke at the occasion. He said the Penal Code draft was endorsed by the Afghanistan Cabinet in March 2, 2017 and was later signed by the President.
“The code was published in the official gazette on May 15.  It will come into effect within nine months after publishing.” Anwar said the code was going to land soon at the National Assembly for approval.
He said the Penal Code preparation had been complex and time-consuming, hoping lawmakers would endorse the code with a lot of ‘sensitivity’ and more ‘accuracy’.
Advisor to Justice Ministry and Afghanistan Penal Code Review group head Mohammad Ashraf Rasooli said earlier there were numerous laws which were different from each other and some even in conflict. “Therefore, bringing ease to judges, prosecutors, defendants and all legal workers, the Penal Code was prepared and brought together.”
“Efforts were made to observe all international standards and principles in the revised Penal Code,” he remarked.
Amendments were brought to serious felonies, he said, adding some other crimes -- such as cyber crimes, Bacha Bazi, land grabbing, administrative corruption, corruption and rigging -- which were not considered crimes in the previous version of the laws, were added to the new code.
Ashraf Rasooli said the Law on Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) was the only law excluded from the Penal Code due to some ‘considerations’. “EVAW remains an independent law”, he added.
The revisited Penal Code consists two parts -- general and specific -- and is compiled in 14 chapters and 914 articles.  (Pajhwok)