9th Judicial Reform Package: Amendments In Criminal Law

The Law No. 7531, titled Law Amending Certain Laws and publicly known as the 9th Judicial Reform Package, was published in the Official Gazette on November 14, 2024. This law introduced amendments to several legal texts, including but not limited to the Turkish Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Turkish Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law, Labor Law, and the Mediation Law in Legal Disputes. This article focuses on the changes concerning criminal law.

Amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure (Law No. 5271)

The 9th Judicial Reform Package introduced changes to the provisions on conciliation within the Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP). Notably, insult offenses have been removed from the scope of conciliation. Following this amendment, crimes against sexual integrity, stalking offenses, and insult offenses can no longer be subject to conciliation. The rationale for this change, as stated in the amendment's preamble, is to adopt