The National Assembly on November 24, 2015, passed the amended Penal Code, which will take effect on July 1, 2016.
The Code contains 26 chapters and 426 articles with highlighted amendments such as the abolition of death penalty for seven crimes, including plundering property; destroying important national security works or facilities; disobeying orders; surrendering to the enemy; producing and trading in fake goods being food, foodstuffs or food additives; illegally storing narcotics; and appropriating narcotics.
In addition, the Code has new provisions on penal liability and scope of penal liability of legal entities, aiming to meet the requirements on crime prevention and combat in the new situation, especially for serious economic and environmental violations committed by legal entities, and to ensure the consistency of the legal system. In order to maintain the transparency and humanity in handling adolescents in accordance with the 2013 Constitution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the 2015 Penal Code also prescribes the scope of penal liability applicable to people aged between full 14 years and under 16 years.