Enforcement of sentences imposed

Republic of Montenegro

Montenegro - Criminal Code 2003 (2018) (EN)

GENERAL PART

TITLE THREE
PUNISHMENT

1. Purpose of Punishment, Types of Punishment and Requirements for their Imposition

Forty-year Prison Term
Article 35

(1) A forty-year prison term may be prescribed for the most serious criminal offences provided that it is not prescribed as the only punishment for a specific criminal offence.

(2) A forty-year prison term may not be imposed on the following :
1) a person who at the time of commission of a criminal offence is not 21 ;
2) a person who at the time of commission of a criminal offence is of significantly reduced mental capacity (Art.14, para. 2) ;
3) a person who attempted to commit a criminal offence.

Prison Term

Article 36
(1) A prison term may not be shorter than thirty days or longer than twenty years.

(2) The prison term referred to in para. 1 hereof shall be imposed in full years and months, and terms up to six months shall be imposed also in days.

Parole

Article 37
(1) A prisoner who has served two thirds or, exceptionally, has served a half of his prison term or his forty year prison term may be released on parole provided that during his prison term he has improved his behaviour to an extent that it can be reasonably expected that his behaviour outside of prison will be good and, in particular, that he will not reoffend during his service of the remainder of the punishment. In deciding whether a prisoner meets the requirements for parole , due consideration shall be given to his conduct during the service in prison, his fulfillment of work obligations, which is assessed with respect to his capacity, as well as to other circumstances that indicate that the purpose of the punishment has been achieved.

(2) The decision granting a prisoner parole may order that he fulfills an obligation set by law.

(3) In the case referred to in para. 1 hereof, the prisoner shall be considered to have served his punishment provided that the parole is not revoked.

GENERAL PART

TITLE THREE
PUNISHMENT

1. Purpose of Punishment, Types of Punishment and Requirements for their Imposition

Fine

Article 39
(1) A fine may not be set at below two hundred euros. A fine may not exceed twenty thousand euros, while for criminal offences committed out of greed it may not exceed one hundred thousand euros.

(2) When imposed as the principal punishment, a fine shall be set as follows :

1) up to two thousand euros for criminal offences punishable by a prison term up
to three months ;
2) from four hundred to four thousand euros for criminal offences punishable by
a prison term up to six months ;
3) from six hundred to eight thousand euros for criminal offences punishable by
a prison term up to one year ;
4) from eight hundred to sixteen thousand euros for criminal offences punishable
by a prison term up to two years ;
5) minimum one thousand two hundred euros for criminal offences punishable
by a prison term up to four years ;
6) minimum one thousand two hundred euros for criminal offences which carry
a fine as the only punishment.

(3) For criminal offences committed out of greed the fine as an accessory punishment may be imposed even when it is not prescribed by law, or when law prescribes that a perpetrator shall be punished by either a prison term or a fine, and the court imposes a prison term as the principal sentence.

(4) Where the court imposes a fine as the principal punishment and additionally imposes a fine as an accessory punishment, a single fine shall be imposed under the rules laid down in Art.48 hereof.

(5) The court ruling shall specify the term of payment which may not be shorter than fifteen or longer than three months. Where so justified, the court may allow the convicted person to pay the fine in installments, provided that the payment deadline is not longer than within one year.

(6) Where a convicted person does not pay a fine within the deadline set thereof, the court shall replace the fine by a prison term by substituting each twenty-five euro amount in his fine by one day of prison term, provided that the prison term does not exceed six moths, and where a fine exceeding nine thousand euros is imposed, the prison term may not be longer than one year.

(7) Upon prior consent of the convicted person, an outstanding fine not exceeding two thousand euros may be substituted by community work and not by a prison term. Each twenty-five euro amount of his fine shall be substituted by eight hours of community work, provided that the community work does not exceed three hundred and sixty hours.

(8) Where the convicted person pays only part of the fine, the court shall substitute the remainder by a prison term on a pro rata basis, and where the convicted person pays the remainder of the fine, his service of the prison term shall be suspended.

(9) The fine may not be enforced in the event of death of the convicted person.

Amount of Daily Fine
Article 40
(1) In the cases when it is possible to establish the perpetrator’s assets and liabilities, the court may pronounce a fine in daily amounts.

(2) The number of daily fines may not be less than ten or more than three hundred and sixty. The number of daily fines to be imposed for the criminal offence committed shall be set in accordance with the general rules on fixing of punishment as laid down in Art.42 hereof.

(3) The amount of daily fine shall be determined by dividing the difference between the perpetrator’s assets and liabilities in the previous calendar year by the number of days in a year, whereby the daily fine must be more than five and less than one thousand euros.

(4) The total amount of fine shall be calculated by the court by multiplying the number of daily fines by the amount of the daily fine.

(5) In determining the value of daily fines the court may request data from banks and other financial institutions, state authorities and legal entities which shall communicate the data requested and which may not invoke protection of business or other secrets.

(6) Where it is not possible to obtain reliable data on perpetrator’s assets and liabilities, or where the perpetrator does not earn any income but is the owner of property or holder of property rights, the court shall use the available data and determine the amount of daily fine at its own discretion.

(7) The provisions of Art. 39, paras 3 through 9 hereof shall also apply when a fine is imposed in compliance with the above provisions.

GENERAL PART

TITLE SEVEN
CONFISCATION OF PECUNIARY GAIN

Requirements for Confiscation of Pecuniary Gain
Article 113

(1) Money, property of value and any other pecuniary gain originating from a criminal offence shall be confiscated from the perpetrator, and where such confiscation is not possible, the perpetrator shall pay the equivalent amount in money.

(2) Also liable to confiscation from the perpetrator shall be pecuniary gain for which there is reasonable suspicion to believe that it originates from criminal activity unless the perpetrator makes it probable to believe that its origin is legitimate (extended confiscation).

(3) The confiscation of pecuniary gain referred to in para. 2 above may apply if the perpetrator has been convicted under a final judgment of any of the following :
1) any of the criminal offences committed through a criminal organization
(Art.401a) ;
2) any of the following criminal offences :
- crime against humanity and other values protected under international law and committed out of greed ;
- money laundering ;
- unauthorized production, possession and distribution of narcotics ;
- criminal offences against payment operations and economic activity and criminal offences against official duty, which were committed out of greed, and which carry eight year prison term or a more severe punishment.

(4) Pecuniary gain shall be liable to confiscation if it was obtained in the period before and/or after the commission of any of the criminal offences under para. 3 hereof until the finality of judgment, and if the court establishes that the time when the pecuniary gain was obtained and other circumstances of the case in question justify the confiscation of the pecuniary gain.

(5) Also liable to confiscation shall be pecuniary gain originating from a criminal offence where it has been transferred to other persons free of charge or where such persons knew, could have known, or were obliged to know that the pecuniary gain originated from a criminal offence.

(6) Where pecuniary gain was obtained for another person, such gain shall also be liable to confiscation.

Protection of Injured Party
Article 114

(1) Where the injured party has been awarded his claim for damages in criminal proceedings, the court shall order the confiscation of pecuniary gain only insofar as such pecuniary gain exceeds the adjudicated claim of the injured party.

(2) The injured party which has been referred by the criminal court to bringing his claim for damages in a civil action may request to be reimbursed from confiscated pecuniary gain, provided that he brings a civil claim within six months from the final decision directing him to bring a civil action and under the further condition that he claims reimbursement from the confiscated pecuniary gain within three months from the final decision awarding his claim.

(3) Any injured party who has not brought his claim for damages in the course of the criminal proceedings may request to be reimbursed from confiscated pecuniary gain provided that he instituted a civil action for the purpose of establishing his claim within three months of the date he learnt of the judgment ordering confiscation of pecuniary gain, but not later than within three years of the date of final decision ordering confiscation of pecuniary gain and provided further that he requests, within three months of the date of decision awarding his claim for damages, to be reimbursed from the confiscated pecuniary gain.

GENERAL PART

TITLE SEVEN
CONFISCATION OF PECUNIARY GAIN

Article 112

(1) No person may retain pecuniary gains originating from an unlawful act which is established by law as a criminal offence.

(2) The pecuniary gain referred to in para. 1 above shall be liable to confiscation under the conditions laid down by the present Code and a court decision.

Rome Statute

Article 103 Role of States in enforcement of sentences of imprisonment

1.

(a) A sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a State designated by the Court from a list of States which have indicated to the Court their willingness to accept sentenced persons.

(b) At the time of declaring its willingness to accept sentenced persons, a State may attach conditions to its acceptance as agreed by the Court and in accordance with this Part.

(c) A State designated in a particular case shall promptly inform the Court whether it accepts the Court's designation.

2.

(a) The State of enforcement shall notify the Court of any circumstances, including the exercise of any conditions agreed under paragraph 1, which could materially affect the terms or extent of the imprisonment. The Court shall be given at least 45 days' notice of any such known or foreseeable circumstances. During this period, the State of enforcement shall take no action that might prejudice its obligations under article 110.

(b) Where the Court cannot agree to the circumstances referred to in subparagraph (a), it shall notify the State of enforcement and proceed in accordance with article 104, paragraph 1.

3. In exercising its discretion to make a designation under paragraph 1, the Court shall take into account the following:

(a) The principle that States Parties should share the responsibility for enforcing sentences of imprisonment, in accordance with principles of equitable distribution, as provided in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence;

(b) The application of widely accepted international treaty standards governing the treatment of prisoners;

(c) The views of the sentenced person;

(d) The nationality of the sentenced person;

(e) Such other factors regarding the circumstances of the crime or the person sentenced, or the effective enforcement of the sentence, as may be appropriate in designating the State of enforcement.

4. If no State is designated under paragraph 1, the sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a prison facility made available by the host State, in accordance with the conditions set out in the headquarters agreement referred to in article 3, paragraph 2. In such a case, the costs arising out of the enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment shall be borne by the Court.

Article 104 Change in designation of State of enforcement

1. The Court may, at any time, decide to transfer a sentenced person to a prison of another State.

2. A sentenced person may, at any time, apply to the Court to be transferred from the State of enforcement.

Article 105 Enforcement of the sentence

1. Subject to conditions which a State may have specified in accordance with article 103, paragraph 1 (b), the sentence of imprisonment shall be binding on the States Parties, which shall in no case modify it.

2. The Court alone shall have the right to decide any application for appeal and revision. The State of enforcement shall not impede the making of any such application by a sentenced person.

Article 106 Supervision of enforcement of sentences and conditions of imprisonment

1. The enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment shall be subject to the supervision of the Court and shall be consistent with widely accepted international treaty standards governing treatment of prisoners.

2. The conditions of imprisonment shall be governed by the law of the State of enforcement and shall be consistent with widely accepted international treaty standards governing treatment of prisoners; in no case shall such conditions be more or less favourable than those available to prisoners convicted of similar offences in the State of enforcement.

3. Communications between a sentenced person and the Court shall be unimpeded and confidential.

Article 109 Enforcement of fines and forfeiture measures

1. States Parties shall give effect to fines or forfeitures ordered by the Court under Part 7, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties, and in accordance with the procedure of their national law.

2. If a State Party is unable to give effect to an order for forfeiture, it shall take measures to recover the value of the proceeds, property or assets ordered by the Court to be forfeited, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties.

3. Property, or the proceeds of the sale of real property or, where appropriate, the sale of other property, which is obtained by a State Party as a result of its enforcement of a judgement of the Court shall be transferred to the Court.