Cabinet pursues plans to reform criminal code
Suspended financial penalties look set to be eliminated in favour of short prison stays as part of a wide-ranging reform of the criminal code.
The justice ministry said it had been mandated to finalise plans for parliament by next March.
The system of suspended fines was only introduced in 2007 but has been widely criticised.
“To be effective and credible, criminal law must be accepted by the population which must have belief in the effectiveness of sanctions,” a statement said on Wednesday.
The use of electronic bracelets to allow some sentences to be carried out in the community would also be regulated in the new laws.
Most parties and cantonal authorities came out in favour of the proposals, according to the justice ministry.
The government put forward a series of amendments to the penal code last June and invited political parties, organisations and institutions for consultation.
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