Viktor Bérces: Evidence in Criminal Proceedings
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Chapter X. The possibilities of excluding evidence and the conditions for indictment at the prosecution (intermediate) stage
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10.3. General characteristics of the mediation process (mediation)
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10.3.2. Procedure

10.3.2. Procedure

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  1. The prosecutor’s office refuses to suspend proceedings for the purpose of mediation by issuing a decision if the suspect or the victim requests or consents to the mediation procedure, but the objective or subjective conditions for the procedure under CPC are not met.1
  2. The prosecutor’s office shall, except in the case of point (a), ensure that a statement of consent is obtained from the suspect or victim and only then decide whether or not to suspend the proceedings for the purpose of mediation.2
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

As I mentioned earlier, under the Be., the prosecutor’s office suspends proceedings for the purpose of mediation if the objective and subjective conditions for mediation are met.3 It follows (in principle) from the grammatical interpretation of this norm that the prosecution will order the proceedings in such cases as a matter of obligation. However, the use of the phrase ‘may suspend’ rather than ‘suspend’ would clearly have been preferable, since it is necessarily an optional procedural option. The main reason for this is that certain statutory conditions (e.g. the personal circumstances of the suspect) are in themselves a matter for consideration and therefore raise issues which are based on subjective judgement and need to be decided. It is a different matter that in legal literature, different views have developed as to the legitimacy of the prosecution’s monopoly in this area:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • According to Herke, the possibility of prosecutorial discretion “allows for a completely subjective assessment of the case, unduly restricting the ordering of mediation proceedings.”4
  • According to Gellér, however, “the removal of the condition ensuring the possibility of prosecutorial discretion from the conditions for the ordering of mediation cannot be supported. The contrary view ignores two aspects. On the one hand, the reason for the existence of mediation and active remorse as legal instruments is that the State withdraws from its criminal claim […] at its own discretion. And if this is so, it must necessarily reserve the right to maintain its claim to punishment in certain cases.”5
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

What is certain is that, if the prosecution decides to initiate proceedings, it will suspend the criminal proceedings for a period of six months in order to allow them to proceed.6

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Pursuant to Act CXXIII of 2006 on Mediation in Criminal Matters (hereinafter referred to as the “Act on Mediation in Criminal Matters”), the proceedings shall be conducted by the probation officer of the probation service competent for mediation at the seat of the prosecution office in charge of the criminal case, or by a lawyer (hereinafter referred to as the “mediator”) who has a contract with the body designated as the probation service to conduct mediation activities, by means of a tender procedure. The following principles, which also determine the procedure, should be highlighted:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • it may be used only once in a given procedure; 7
  • the victim and the suspect are equal parties;
  • consent to the procedure may be withdrawn at any time;
  • the settlement can only be the result of a voluntary agreement by both parties;
  • the presence of a legal representative is compulsory; in addition, a legal representative and an assistant may be present.8
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

Within fifteen days of the receipt of the suspension decision by the probation service or, if a lawyer is acting as mediator, the mediator will set a date for the first mediation meeting (usually held at the office of the probation service). The parties must be briefly informed about the substance of the mediation procedure, its legal consequences and their rights and obligations. The mediation procedure must be organised in such a way that it can be completed within three months of this meeting and that the report and the instrument of agreement are received by the public prosecutor’s office before the expiry of the time limit for suspension of the proceedings.9

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The mediation meeting can be conducted with the simultaneous personal presence of the victim and the suspect. At the beginning of the mediation, the mediator shall establish the identity of the victim, the suspect and other persons present, and ask them whether they have understood the written information, and if they have not, explain the part they do not understand. The mediator will also verify ex officio the procedural eligibility of the assistants present. At the meeting, the mediator will listen to the victim and the suspect in as much detail as necessary, during which the parties may express their views on the case orally and present the documents at his disposal.10

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The mediator will make a record of the mediation meeting, which must include the following notes:

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  • if the mediator is a probation officer, the name of the probation service conducting the mediation, and if the mediator is a lawyer, the number of the mediation contract, the case number and the name of the suspect;
  • the name and case number of the prosecution service;
  • the place, start and end time of the mediation meeting;
  • the names of the mediator, the victim, the suspect, the facilitators or other persons who participated in the mediation meeting, and
  • a brief description of the procedure so that the record can be used to determine whether the procedural rules have been followed.11
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The agreement is reached when the victim and the accused agree on the same position as regards compensation for the damage caused by the crime or other reparation for the harmful consequences of the crime. The agreement must include

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

  1. whether the suspected person pays or otherwise makes reparation for the damage caused by the offence in a lump sum or in instalments at regular intervals during the period of suspension of the criminal proceedings or within two years from the date on which the suspension begins;
  2. that the costs of the proceedings shall be paid.
 

Jegyzet elhelyezéséhez, kérjük, lépj be.!

The obligations undertaken in the agreement must not infringe the rights and legitimate interests of others, must comply with the law and must not be contrary to good morals. The mediator draws up a deed (notarial deed) of the agreement, which is signed by both the victim and the suspect.12 The suspect, the victim, the suspect’s legal representative and the legal representative of a minor or an adult victim with limited capacity to act must also appear in person.13 The resulting documents may not be used as evidence at any further stage of the proceedings.14
1 CPC § 413 (1) para.
2 CPC § 413 (2) para.
3 CPC § 412 (2) para.
4 Csongor Herke: A mediáció elrendelésének szubjektív feltételeiről. [On the subjective conditions for ordering mediation.] Ügyészségi Szemle, 2016/4. 91.
5 Balázs Gellér – István Ambrus: A magyar büntetőjog általános tanai I. [General Doctrines of Hungarian Criminal Law I.] Budapest, ELTE, Eötvös Kiadó, 2017. 335–336.
6 § 414 (1) para.
7 By excluding the possibility of multiple claims, the CPC essentially prevents the procedure from being prolonged. László Bérces: Polgári jogi igények érvényesítése a büntetőeljárásban. [Enforcing civil rights claims in criminal proceedings.] In Viktória Harsági – Zsuzsanna Wopera (eds): Az igazságszolgáltatás kihívásai a XXI. században. [Challenges of Justice in the 21st Century.] Budapest, HVG-ORAC, 2007. 24.
8 If the details of the criminal proceedings or the mediation procedure justify it, the mediator may include in the mediation procedure a person who may facilitate the conclusion of the agreement [Art.7 (1)–(8) of the Public Prosecution Act].
9 Public Finance Act, § 9 (1)–(4) para.
10 Public Finance Act, § 11 (1)–(5) para.
11 Public Finance Act, § 12 (1)–(3) para.
12 Section 13 (1)–(4) of the Public Finance Act.
13 Section 11 (6) para.
14 Public Finance Act, § 13 (5) para.
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