Part I. General Provisions

Chapter 2. Penalties and other sanctions

Section 17. Imprisonment may be imposed :

(a) for a term of from 14 days to 15 years, or in the cases dealt with in sections 60 a, 61 and 62 for a term not exceeding 20 years ;
(b) in cases in which it is specially provided, for a term not exceeding 21 years.

Any provision for imprisonment in this code means imprisonment for a limited period unless it is otherwise expressly stated.

A person sentenced to imprisonment may be released on probation in accordance with the provisions of a special Act (section 26).

Sections 18-19. (Repealed by Act of 12 December 1958 No. 1.)

Section 20. (Repealed by Act of 12 June 1981 No. 62.)

Section 21.

Should a person who is serving detention be sentenced to imprisonment, the execution of the latter sentence would normally commence immediately and the other sentence would be temporarily suspended.

Section 22.

Detention may be imposed for a term of from 14 days to 20 years.

Two days' detention shall be considered the equivalent of one day's imprisonment.

Section 23.

On the application of the convicted person or with his consent, detention may be converted to imprisonment.

Section 24.

When imprisonment is specified as the only form of custodial penalty, an equivalent sentence of detention may be imposed, provided that special circumstances make it probable that the act did not originate from a depraved mind.

Section 25.

A custodial sentence not exceeding four months shall be determined in days; a custodial sentence exceeding four months shall be determined in months and years.

Section 26.

Further provisions for the execution of sentences of imprisonment, community sentences, special criminal sanctions and preventive detention shall be made in a separate Act.

Section 26 a.

In addition to a custodial sentence the court may impose a fine. This applies even though fines are not prescribed as a penalty for the offence. In assessing a custodial sentence the fact that a fine is also imposed shall be taken into account.

The power to combine a custodial sentence with a fine derived from this section is of no significance in relation to statutory provisions that give legal effect to the penalty limits.

Section 27.

When a fine is imposed, due consideration should be given not only to the nature of the offence but also especially to the financial position of the convicted person and to what he can presumably afford to pay in his circumstances.

The fine shall accrue to the State treasury.

Section 28.

When a fine is imposed, a sentence of imprisonment of from one day to three months, or in the cases mentioned in section 63 up to four and a half months, shall be stipulated, which shall be executed if the fine is not paid.

When a fine is imposed pursuant to section 48 a, no sentence of imprisonment pursuant to the first paragraph shall be stipulated.

Section 22.Intent

Intent exists when a person commits an act that fits the description of the offence in a penal provision

Intent exists even if the offender is unaware that the act is unlawful, see section 26.

Section 23.Negligence

Any person who acts in contravention of the requirement of due care in an area of life, and who17. Imprisonment may be held to blame in view of his or her personal circumstances, is negligent.

The negligence is gross if the act is highly reproachable and there are grounds for significant blame.

Section 24.Unintended consequence

An unintended consequence is part of the assessment of whether an offence is aggravated if the offender has acted negligently with regard to the consequence or failed to prevent the consequence according to ability after becoming aware that it might occur.

Section 25.Factual ignorance

All persons shall be judged based on their perception of the factual situation at the time of the act.

If the ignorance is negligent, the act is subject to a penalty when negligent violation of the law is punishable.

Ignorance as a result of self-induced intoxication is disregarded. In such cases the offender is judged as if he/she were sober. The same applies if the person was in a self-induced state of unaccountability.

Section 26.Ignorance of the law

Any person who at the time of the act is unaware that the act is unlawful due to ignorance of legal rules shall be penalised if the ignorance is negligent.

Chapter 4. Enterprise penalties

Section 27.Penalties for enterprises

When a penal provision is violated by a person who has acted on behalf of an enterprise, the enterprise is liable to punishment. This applies even if no single person meets the culpability or the accountability requirement, see section 20.

«Enterprise» means a company, co-operative society, association or other organisation, sole proprietorship, foundation, estate or public body.

The penalty is a fine. The enterprise may also be sentenced to lose the right to operate, or may be prohibited from operating in certain forms, see section 56, and be subject to confiscation, see chapter 13.

Section 28.Factors in determining whether a penalty shall be imposed on an enterprise:

In determining whether an enterprise shall be penalised pursuant to section 27, and in assessing the penalty, considerations shall include

Chapter 5. Overview of the criminal sanctions

Section 29.The penalties