The Reform of Hungarian Criminal Policy

Abstract

1. Reforms in an International Context The assertion made by Geza Dombovary about Hungarian criminal policy in the twilight of the 19 th century, 1 according to which a huge number of various conceptions prevail concerning the imperative reform of criminal policy, 2 obtains validly in our days, as well. However, it is valid not only in a Hungarian, but also in an international context that multifarious conceptions concerning a major and urgent reform of criminal policy persist. In my judgement, in countries under the rule of common law, criminal policy is marked by the correlation of punitive purpose and iron fist policy with restitutive justice. In the United Kingdom, government has proclaimed the directive of “tough justice”, but the necessity of the extension of the scope of protection for victims and witnesses and of the support of community justice in a broad scope is also emphatic. The institution of community justice is also promoted by the factor of cost reduction, furthermore, citizens’ confidence can also be reinforced by the opportunity for participation in the administration of justice. According to the operative criminal policy, criminal justice focuses on the compensation of victims of criminal offences. Perpetrators, on the other hand, have to reckon with a powerful and effectual criminal justice system that will take firm action, resolve cases and impose just punishment on offenders. Leng claims that traditional British criminology aligns with a notion of criminality, according to which the lower classes are preying upon the more prosperous middle classes. Nonetheless, the new directive of “Tough on crime