Document 173 - Amendment to the Criminal Code – RJ

Published date: 22.04.2026 |Processed date: 22.04.2026 |Session 10

Submitters: Andrej Babiš, Tomio Okamura, Lucie Šafránková, Petr Macinka, Boris Šťastný, Taťána Malá, Radim Fiala, Renata Vesecká, Jana Hanzlíková

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Summary

The proposal strengthens the penalties for cruelty to a person living in a shared dwelling as well as for cruelty and neglect of an animal. The lower limit of the sentence is increased from six months to one year for domestic and animal cruelty and the upper limit is increased from six months to one year for negligent neglect of an animal and from two to three years for a large number of animals. The killing of a cat or dog for a despicable motive without a lawful reason is also to be made a criminal offence. It is proposed to take effect from 1 January 2027.

Topics

Additional documents

Additional document 1

Government Opinion on Parliamentary Print No. 173/0

Processed date: 05.05.2026

This is the Government’s position on the MPs’ proposal to amend the Criminal Code. The Government discussed the proposal on 4 May 2026 and adopted a favourable opinion on it. It therefore supports tougher penalties for domestic abuse and cruelty to or neglect of animals.

Proposals

We do not know whether the listed proposals were approved or declined.

Proposal 1542

173 - 1542 - Marek Výborný

Scope: pages 1–3.

The amendment repeals points 3 through 7 of the main proposal, thereby removing the newly introduced criminal offense in Section 302 for the unjustified killing of a dog or cat out of reprehensible motives. It justifies this by arguing that it constitutes a disproportionate expansion of criminal law without sufficient expert analysis, data, or impact assessment. The proposal also points out the ambiguity of the term “reprehensible motive” and the inconsistent preferential treatment of only dogs and cats over other animals. The goal is to keep these acts outside the scope of the new criminal legislation for the time being and not to adopt this change without a broader expert discussion.

Laws affected by this document

40/2009

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