National People’s Assembly Committee Examines Penal Code Draft
The Committee on Legal, Administrative Affairs, Freedoms, and Human Rights of the National People's Assembly convened a meeting to continue its review of the draft penal code. The session included the National Commissioner for Child Protection and Promotion, Mariam Cherfi, representatives from the National Council for Human Rights, and officials from the Ministry of Justice. Committee Chairman Masoudi Omar emphasized the significance of the amended and supplemented draft law, describing it as an essential step in building a state of law and solidifying justice in Algeria.
The ongoing study of the draft code extends beyond routine administrative procedures, serving as a comprehensive consultative forum that brings together specialists and national institutions dedicated to child protection and human rights. Mariam Cherfi commended President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's directives, which have been incorporated into the draft, particularly those safeguarding children, citizens, and their property from serious crimes. She also clarified that the death penalty remains part of Algeria's legislative framework but its scope of application has been reduced, advocating for its renewed activation in cases of heinous offenses.
During the deliberations, Ms. Cherfi underscored Algeria's legislative sovereignty in its engagement with international treaties, noting the nation's ratification of two out of three optional protocols within the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, while declining protocols deemed inconsistent with its national interests and specificities. Furthermore, Nasser Baghazala, head of the Political Affairs Committee at the National Council for Human Rights, stressed the importance of precise legislative terminology to prevent ambiguity in judicial application, especially concerning laws that carry the death penalty in cases such as deliberate arson and child kidnapping. Hussein Mabrouk, head of the Legal Affairs Committee at the National Council for Human Rights, also called for the unification of Algerian legislation to streamline the work of judges, lawyers, and researchers.
