CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE

PART II
ON ORDINARY PROCEDURES

TITLE IV
ON EXECUTION

CHAPTER II
ON THE EXECUTION OF A PRISON SENTENCE

Article 328
Beginning and end of imprisonment

1. A convicted person punished with imprisonment begins serving the sentence upon his or her admission to the prison establishment and such a sentence ends with his or her release on the morning of the last day of the sentence.

2. In order to start or finish serving his or her sentence, a convicted person is admitted to or discharged from a prison establishment by means of a writ issued by the trial judge.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE

PART II
ON ORDINARY PROCEDURES

TITLE IV
ON EXECUTION

CHAPTER III
ON THE EXECUTION OF PENALTY OF FINE

Article 335
Voluntary payment

1. A fine may be paid within fifteen days from the date on which the decision imposing it has become final, in an amount determined therein.

2. A request may, within the same deadline, be filed for the payment of the fine to be made in instalments.

3. Sub-article 335.1 does not apply in the event that the payment of a fine in instalments has been authorised.

Article 336
Property execution

1. Property execution shall, at the request of the public prosecutor, apply where the deadline for paying a fine, or some of its instalments, has expired or the convicted person has ceased doing the work he or she is required to carry out in lieu of the fine.

2. Property execution shall be initiated with the motion by the public prosecutor indicating any sufficient and unencumbered assets owned by the convicted person and the latter may, within the same deadline as in which he or she could have voluntarily paid the fine, indicate any assets to be garnished in lieu of those mentioned in the initial motion filed by the public prosecutor.

3. Property execution shall follow the terms of an ordinary execution proceeding, with the necessary adaptations, and shall be dealt with as an attachment to the records in which the conviction was passed.

Article 337
Alternative imprisonment

1. In the event a fine is not paid or where property execution is not feasible, the serving of a prison sentence may be imposed as an alternative.

3. Upon being arrested to serve an alternative prison sentence, the convicted person may avoid the execution of the arrest by paying the fine in its entirety to the official tasked with executing the warrant of arrest. The latter shall issue a receipt acknowledging receipt of the corresponding amount of money and certify the reason why the warrant has not been executed.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE

PART IV
ON FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 352
Need to review and confirm a sentence passed by a foreign court

1. Where, by virtue of the law, treaty or convention, a criminal sentence imposed by a foreign court is to be valid in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, its enforceability is contingent upon prior review and confirmation by the Supreme Court of Justice.

2. At the request of the person concerned, a civil compensation order contained in a sentence imposed by a foreign court may be confirmed in the same proceeding of review and confirmation of that sentence.

3. Sub-article 355.1 does not apply where the sentence imposed by a foreign court is invoked in the courts of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as an element of proof.

CRIMINAL PROCEDURE CODE

PART IV
ON FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 354
Requirements for confirmation

1. In order for a criminal sentence imposed by a foreign court to be confirmed, the following requirements need to be met :

(a) that, by virtue of the law, treaty or convention, the sentence may be enforced in the territory of Timor-Leste ;
(b) that the fact that has served as a basis for the conviction is also punishable by the Timorese law ;
(c) that the sentence has not imposed any penalty or security measure prohibited by the Timorese law;
(d) that the defendant has been assisted by a defender and, where the defendant was not familiar with the language used in the proceeding, also by an interpreter ;
(e) that, except as otherwise stated in a treaty or convention, the sentence is not related to a crime that can be described, in accordance with the Timorese law or that of the country where the sentence was rendered, as a crime against the state security.

2. Where the criminal sentence imposed by a foreign court has imposed a penalty that is not provided in the Timorese law or a penalty provided in the Timorese law but to an extent greater than the maximum admissible under law, the sentence is confirmed, but the penalty imposed shall be either converted to the extent that corresponds to such a case under the Timorese law or reduced up to the appropriate limit.

3. A sentence imposed by a foreign court may be confirmed even though its minimum limit is below the one admissible under the Timorese law.

BOOK I
GENERAL PART

TITLE IV
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

CHAPTER I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 64. Execution of penalties or imprisonment measures

1. A perpetrator convicted and sentenced to effective imprisonment or subject to an internment measure may be granted parole or probation.

2. Except where otherwise provided, once the convict has served five-sixths of the imposed sentence, the same must be released on parole.

3. Except as described in the previous subarticle, parole cannot be granted without consent of the convict.

4. Specific legislation shall establish the pre-requisites and conditions for granting parole, as well as the rights and duties of inmates and pre-requisites and conditions under which an effective prison sentence may be served at large.

BOOK I
GENERAL PART

TITLE IV
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

CHAPTER II
SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT

Article 66. Duration of a prison sentence

1. A prison sentence shall have a minimum duration of 30 days and a maximum of 25 years.

2. In special cases provided for by law, the maximum duration of a prison sentence shall be 30 years.

3. Under no circumstances may the maximum duration referred in the above subarticle be exceeded.

BOOK I
GENERAL PART

TITLE IV
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

CHAPTER III
PENALTY OF FINE

Article 75. Duration of the penalty of fine

1. The penalty of fine ranges from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 360 days, except where otherwise provided in law.

2. Each day of fine corresponds to an amount ranging from 50 cents to 200 US dollars, which the court shall determine depending on the economic and financial status of the convict and his or her personal expenses.

3. Whenever circumstances surrounding the case so justify, the court may authorize the payment of the fine within the period of 1 year, or allow payment in installments, with the final installment due no later than two years after the date of rendering of the final decision.

Article 76. Imprisonment as alternative to fine

The decision that directly applies the penalty of fine shall determine imprisonment as an alternative to the length of time corresponding to the fine, reduced to two-thirds.

Article 77. Exemption or reduction of the penalty of fine

1. If a convict punished with a penalty of fine fails to carry out the sentence due to circumstances occurring after conviction, that make compliance to the same impossible or difficult and said circumstances are not attributable to the convict, the court may order a reduction or exemption of the penalty.

2. The previous subarticle is applicable to the penalty of fine as a substitute for imprisonment.

BOOK I
GENERAL PART

TITLE IV
LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

CHAPTER IX
OTHER CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME

Article 102. Forfeiture of objects of the crime

1. Objects that were used or destined to be used in the commission of a crime, or were results from the same, shall be forfeited to the State, whenever, due to their nature or the circumstances surrounding the case, the same may endanger the security of persons or public order, or pose serious risk of being used in the commission of further crimes.

2. Rights shall be safeguarded regarding objects belonging to any victim or third party, who has not participated in their use or production nor taken advantage thereof.

3. The court shall determine the disposal of objects declared forfeited whenever not specified in law, and may order the partial or complete destruction thereof or to remove them from circulation.

4. Provisions in subarticle 102.1 shall apply even when no specific person can be punished for the crime.

Article 103. Forfeiture of benefits

1. All items, rights or benefits directly or indirectly acquired as a result of the commission of a crime shall be declared forfeited to the State, without prejudice to the rights of any victim or third parties acting in good faith.

2. If said items, rights or benefits cannot be appropriated in kind, their forfeiture shall be compensated through payment of their respective value to the State.