-
.
- Ελληνικά
The Commissioner for Legislation, Ms Louisa Christodoulides Zannetou, welcomes the approval by the Council of Ministers of the package of bills for the revision of the legislative framework on fires.
These are the following 6 bills. 220/1988), [*]'The Forestry (Amendment) Act 2024', which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, [*]'The Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2024', which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, [*]'The Extrajudicial Settlement of Offences (Amendment) (No. 2) Law of 2024", which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, [*]"The Municipalities (Amendment) (No. 5) Law of 2024" which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior, [*]"The Communities (Amendment) (No. 4) Law of 2024" which is the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior.
The Bills are the result of consultations undertaken by the Working Group appointed to review legislation relating to fires. Coordination of the legislation review work was delegated to the Legislation Commissioner.
The aim of the Working Group was to write new modernising legislation to replace the Prevention of Fires in the Countryside Act 1988, to review all existing fire and fire related legislation that needed modernising, improve it and bring it in line with the prevention, response and suppression of offences. At the same time, the review was intended to tighten the provisions of laws that provided for lighter penalties with the ultimate aim of deterrence, to align penalties across all relevant laws, to treat offences on the basis of risk and outcome, to create fire-related offences in laws where there was no provision for them and to allow for out-of-court settlement where none existed. Finally, the revision also makes explicit reference to the circumstances where lighting fires is permitted with provision for exceptions and measures to be taken to prevent fires.
The Commissioner thanks all the officials who participated in the Working Group and worked with her with dedication and professionalism in carrying out this enormous task. In particular, she thanks the Ministry of Interior, and in particular the Prefect of Kyrenia Mr. The Ministry of Justice and Public Order, in particular Mr. Panagiotis Foutros, as well as the Prosecutor of the Republic Dr. Despina Kyprianou together with the team of the Legal Service for the excellent cooperation and the result they achieved as a team.
Finally, the Commissioner of Legislation thanks the Attorney General of the Republic Mr. George L. Savvidis and the Minister of Justice and Public Order Mr. Marios Hartsiotis, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr. Maria Panayiotou and the Minister of Interior Mr. Constantinos Kombos for the confidence they have shown in her by entrusting her with the task of revising the legislative framework governing fires.
(AS/NZ)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
