The Rule of Law in Croatian Criminal Justice with a Case Study on its Breach by Tackling War Profiteering and Privatisation

Marta Dragičević Prtenjača

doi:10.47078/2023.2.41-68

Marta Dragičević Prtenjača Associate Professor, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9666-4765

DOI: https://doi.org/10.47078/2023.2.41-68

Keywords: rule of law, principle of legality, Croatian criminal justice system, the law on exemption

Abstract

The rule of law, as enshrined in the Croatian Constitution, establishes the highest values of the constitutional order, including the principles of constitutionality and legality. It ensures that laws and procedures in Criminal Law are well-defined and accessible to all, and provide legal certainty. The presumption of innocence safeguards the rights of the accused and ensures fair trials. The text emphasises the importance of the separation of powers and the role of the Constitutional Court in upholding constitutionality and the principle of legality as one of the main principles of (substantive) Criminal Law. Special reference is made to the constitutional amendments and legal measures taken to address criminal offences related to privatisation and ownership transformation and the Law on Exemption from the Statute of Limitations for War Profiteering and Crimes Committed in the Process of Ownership Transformation and Privatisation, which is a unique “phenomenon” ensuing from the retroactive application of the law contrary to the principle of legality, existing only in Croatian Criminal Law. This paper explores the interplay between the rule of law and Criminal Law in Croatia, highlighting the principles and legal framework that ensure justice and the protection of individual rights in the criminal justice system.

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