Juvenile Justice
Applicability and Needs for Short Term Incarceration (Custodial Arrest)
Custodial arrest; short-term incarceration; criminal sanctions; prison law; juvenile offenders; alternatives to imprisonment
The article examines the historical development, current regulation, and practical implementation of custodial arrest in Hungarian criminal law. It questions the preventive effectiveness of short-term incarceration and recommends non-custodial alternatives that reduce stigmatization, prison harm, and social costs.
PAYRICH, ANDRÁS GYÖRGY
The Specifics of Juvenile Criminal Law in the Czech Legal System
Juvenile criminal law; Czech legal system; child-friendly justice; restorative justice; criminal liability
This study examines the specific features of criminal liability for juveniles in the Czech legal system, from both a historical and a contemporary legal perspective. It reviews the development of the legislation from Austrian criminal law traditions through the 1931 Juvenile Act and the regulations of the socialist era to the current Act No. 218/2003 on Juvenile Justice. The study focuses on a child-centered, educational, and restorative approach, which prioritizes the social reintegration, development, and restitution of harm caused by juveniles over retribution. The study analyzes the minimum age of criminal responsibility, the principle of relative accountability, and the assessment of intellectual and moral maturity. It presents the system of educational, protective, and punitive measures, as well as the principle of deprivation of liberty as a measure of last resort. Special attention is given to procedural safeguards, including juvenile courts, mandatory defence, restrictions on publicity, and the role of the Probation and Mediation Service.
VÁGI, KATA FRANCISKA
Child Pornography in Hungarian Criminal Law...
Child pornography; child sexual abuse material; artificial intelligence; criminal investigation; Hungarian criminal law
This article examines the Hungarian offence of child pornography from criminal-law, criminological, comparative-law, and technological perspectives. It outlines the development of the Hungarian legal framework under the influence of international and European norms, and compares it with the regulation in Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan. The article also argues that the term paedophile is often used inaccurately in legal and public discourse, since not all offenders involved in child pornography cases fall within that clinical category. Against this background, it considers whether artificial-intelligence-based image recognition may assist criminal investigations involving child sexual abuse material. It concludes that such systems may be legally and practically useful in Hungary, provided that they remain subject to clear statutory regulation, meaningful human oversight, and strict data-protection safeguards.
KISS, ESZTER – CZEBE, ANDRÁS
The criminal law assessment of young adults in Hungary
Young adulthood, criminal justice reform, developmentally appropriate sentencing, legal capacity and maturity, age-responsive criminal law
This study examines the conceptual and normative foundations for recognizing young adulthood (ages 18–24) as a distinct category in Hungarian criminal law. While current legislation treats individuals as fully responsible adults from age 18, empirical research from psychology, sociology, and criminology suggests that many young adults lack the psychosocial maturity typically associated with full adulthood. The analysis draws on national and comparative legal sources, judicial practice, and international frameworks to assess whether young adults warrant differentiated treatment in criminal justice. Findings reveal a normative gap in Hungarian law: the concept of “young adult” is inconsistently applied, lacking statutory definition and leading to judicial ambiguity. Based on legal theory, empirical criminal statistics, and comparative models, the study proposes the introduction of a formal legal definition within the Criminal Code and the inclusion of a new mitigating provision under Chapter IX. This reform would enhance legal clarity, promote proportional sentencing, and respect both judicial discretion and constitutional principles. The paper concludes that codifying young adulthood as a distinct penal category is both necessary and feasible for a more just and developmentally informed criminal justice system.
SZABÓ, BERNADETT – CZEBE, ANDRÁS
Current issue
