Parliament Plans New Legal Code

Written by DAP NEWS -- Thursday, 24 September 2009

(CAAI News Media)

The parliament and senate have cooperated with the Ministry of Justice to on Wednesday unveil a draft of the long-awaited new Legal Code.

The new code was revealed at a seminar at the Cambodian Parlia-ment office under the presidency of the Parliamentary President Heng Samrin and delegations from diverse nations and NGOs, a parliamentary official said.

Minister of Justice Ang Vong Vathana said at the meeting that the articles “cover criminal law, corruption, and other items.”

He said that the new law does stipulate arrests or imprisonment, only fines.

All stressed that the new law is open to correction. Ny Chakriya, an official from rights group Adhoc, said at the meeting that the legislation would b a step forward. “It id good that the Cambodian Parliament, Senate and Ministry of Justice start to issue this rule and allow all social organization, NGOs, and other related institutions to attend for this setting.”

“There was not enough time to finalize the ideas for … these articles; this is just a first draft before the new legislation is introduced,” Ny Chakrya said, calling the drafting “very hurried.”

Parliamentary President Heng Samrin stressed the extreme importance of the new law as “a part of all legal law or code to issue and adapt to the whole country.”