Infodemia in the Time of Covid 19: Criminal Law and Security Aspect

Pandemija SARS-CoV-2 u Europi i svijetu dovela je do brojnih pravnih, ekonomskih, medicinskih, sigurnosnih i ostalih izazova. S obzirom na brzinu kojom se šire (dez)informacije o SARS-CoV-2 došlo je do pojave novog termina - infodemija. Infodemija predstavlja poplavu informacija o virusu, pri čemu je jako teško razlikovati istinu od laži. Osim toga širenje dezinformacija može imati višestruke negativne posljedice, vezano uz zdravlje stanovništva - ponajviše psihičko zdravlje, ali i na svijest građana o aktualnoj globalnoj situaciji. Ujedno, infodemija može biti povezana i s govorom mržnje što konačno vodi do rizičnog ponašanja. Naime, takvi lažni natpisi posljedično uvode građane u kažnjivu zonu nepoštivanjem epidemioloških mjera nadležnih tijela pri čemu vrlo lako može doći do svjesnog protupravnog djelovanja u vidu kaznenog djela širenja zarazne bolesti. U tu svrhu Europska unija nastoji snažno odgovoriti na takve neželjene i opasne pojave konkretnim mjerama koje se mogu brzo implementirati kroz postojeće pravne resurse. Autori se u ovom radu bave analizom problema širenja lažnih vijesti s kaznenopravnog i sigurnosnog aspekta uz poredbena rješenja. Naime, hrvatsko kazneno zakonodavstvo ne inkriminira širenje lažnih vijesti kao kazneno djelo, već je širenje lažnih vijesti u našem pravnom sustavu propisano kao prekršaj u Zakonu o prekršajima protiv javnog reda i mira koji je nastao još u doba bivše države. Slijedom navedenog, autori nastoje pružiti odgovore na niz pravnih i sigurnosnih pitanja. Ponajprije, koje pravne posljedice nastaju širenjem lažnih vijesti o SARS-CoV-2, mogućnosti pooštravanja sankcija za širenje glasina, gdje nastaje ograničenje prava slobode izvještavanja, te kako lažne informacije utječu na nacionalnu sigurnost?The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe and the world has led to a number of legal, economic, medical, security and other challenges. Given the speed with which (dis) information about SARS-CoV-2 is spreading, a new term has emerged – infodemia. Infodemia is a flood of information about the virus, and it is very difficult to distinguish the truth from falsehoods. In addition, the spread of misinformation can have multiple negative consequences, both for the health of the population, mental health in particular, and the awareness of citizens about the current global situation. At the same time, infodemia can be associated with hate speech, which ultimately leads to risky behavior. Namely, such false inscriptions consequently may lead citizens into the criminal zone by disrespecting the epidemiological measures prescribed by competent authorities, which can very easily lead to global illegal action in the form of criminal offense of spreading infectious diseases. To this end, the EU seeks to respond to such undesirable and dangerous phenomena, with concrete measures that can be implemented quickly through existing legal resources. In this paper, the authors are analyzing the problem of false news spreading from criminal law and security aspects, along with comparative solutions. Namely, Croatian criminal legislation does not criminalize the dissemination of false news as a criminal offense. In our legal system the dissemination of false news is prescribed as a misdemeanor in the Misdemeanors against Public Peace and Order Act, which originated in the former state. Following the above, the authors seek to provide answers to a number of legal and security issues. First of all, what are the legal consequences of spreading false news about SARS-CoV-2, how can rumour spreading sanctions be aggravated, where are freedom of the press restrictions, and how do false information affect national security

Criminal law aspects of piracy at sea according to the UNCLOS with reference to the Croatian legal system1

Piracy is traditionally one of the oldest forms of violation of international law and a global threat to maritime traffic. It is a serious international offense against which criminal protection is ensured in the domestic legal system, relying on the postulates of international maritime law, and in particular the Convention on the Law of the Sea. In this paper, the authors deal with the legal analysis of the incrimination of piracy at the international and national levels. In relation to the Republic of Croatia, the authors present recent regulations regarding this international criminal offense in the domestic legal system. This paper aims to point out the fundamental problems caused by the existing regulations regarding this international crime, especially when it comes to jurisdiction over piracy, universal jurisdiction, taking over criminal prosecution, etc

Criminal law challenges of e-sport development

Pandemija Sars-CoV-2 označila je svjetsku povijest, pa tako i sportsku. Uz brojne pravne, ekonomske, medicinske te znanstvene izazove, pandemija je značajno utjecala i na razvoj sporta. Zatvaranjem gospodarstava, društvenih i sportskih događanja radi suzbijanja širenja zaraze, došlo je do brzog razvoja e-sporta koji je na određeni način zamijenio tradicionalni sport igranjem popularnih videoigara. Da se radi o ozbiljnoj pojavi, govori i činjenica sve većeg broja gledatelja i sudionika videoigara u odnosu na gledatelje tradicionalnog sporta, kao i količina novca koji cirkulira u takvim virtualnim krugovima. Međutim, razvoj e-sporta posljedično vodi i određenim kaznenopravnim izazovima koji se manifestiraju kroz različite oblike manipulacija, nezakonitog klađenja i e-dopinga. Manipulacije sportskim natjecanjima globalno nisu novost u području sporta, ali u ovakvom specifičnom virtualnom okruženju one dobivaju novu dimenziju. Autori u ovom radu analiziraju kaznenopravne izazove koji nastaju na području e-sporta, osobito kada se igranjem videoigara čine različiti oblici kaznenih djela poput manipulacija, nezakonitog klađenja, pranja novca, e-dopinga i sl.The Sars-CoV-2 pandemic marked world history, including sports history. In addition to numerous legal, economic, medical and scientific challenges, the Sars-CoV-2 pandemic has significantly affected the development of sports. With the closure of farms, social and sporting events to combat the spread of the contagion, there has been a rapid development of e-sports that has in a way replaced traditional sports by playing popular video games. The fact that this is a serious phenomenon is evidenced by the growing number of viewers and participants in video games compared to viewers of traditional sports, as well as the amount of money circulating in such virtual circles. However, the development of e-sports consequently leads to certain criminal law challenges that are manifested through various forms of manipulation, illegal betting and e-doping. Manipulations of sports competitions are not a novelty in the field of sports globally, but in such a specific virtual environment they gain a new dimension. In this paper, the authors analyze the criminal law challenges that arise in the field of e-sports, especially when playing video games commit various forms of crime such as manipulation, illegal betting, money laundering, e-doping and the like

INSTRUMENTS FOR PROTECTION OF THE PROCEDURAL RIGHT OF DEFENCE IN INVESTIGATION UNDER THE LAW ON CRIMINAL PROCEDURE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Stupanjem na snagu Zakona o kaznenom postupku Bosne i Hercegovine značajno su izmijenjene uloge tužitelja i suda u odnosu na ranije zakonodavstvo, a osobito u istražnom postupku. Prema postojećem normativnom okviru uloga suda u istrazi je znatno pasivnija jer u ovom stadiju postupka sud ne vrši kontrolu osnovanosti vođenja istrage. Mješoviti akuzatorski koncept istrage kakav egzistira u bosanskohercegovačkom kaznenoprocesnom sustavu doveo je do određenih ograničenja glede prava obrane u istrazi. Istraga je iznimno važan stadij kaznenog postupka jer se u njoj prikupljaju podatci i dokazi potrebni za odlučivanje o podizanju optužnice ili obustavi postupka, kao i dokazi koji se mogu koristiti na glavnoj raspravi i na kojima se može zasnovati presuda. Stoga je nužno osigurati provođenje pravilne i zakonite istrage. To uključuje osiguranje pravičnog i poštenog postupanja prema svim sudionicima u istrazi, osobito obrani. Pravo na obranu temeljno je ljudsko i ustavno pravo zajamčeno i međunarodnim konvencijama. Iz prava na obranu proizlazi nekoliko pojedinačnih prava koja osumnjičenicima pripadaju u prethodnom postupku. Da bi se osigurala djelotvorna sudska zaštita prava osumnjičenika, radom se analizira bosanskohercegovački kaznenoprocesni sustav uz prikaz poredbenopravnih rješenja glede zaštite postupovnih prava obrane u istrazi. Temeljni je problem pri analizi bosanskohercegovačkog normativnog okvira nepostojanje djelotvorne sudske zaštite procesnih prava obrane, kao i nepostojanje djelotvornog pravnog lijeka na provođenje istrage koji bi obrani omogućio ostvarenje načela pravičnog suđenja te načela jednakosti oružja u prethodnom postupku. Osim toga, radom se analizira i pitanje upoznavanja osumnjičenika s donošenjem naredbe o provođenju istrage jer prema važećim propisima osumnjičenik i ne mora znati da se protiv njega vodi istraga čime se narušava načelo pravičnog suđenja.With the entry into force of the Criminal Procedure Code of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the roles of the prosecutor and the court have been changed significantly compared to the earlier legislation, especially in the investigative procedure. According to the existing normative framework, the role of the court in the investigation is much more passive since at this stage of the procedure the court does not control the merits of conducting the investigation. The mixed accusatorial concept of investigation as the one existing in the criminal justice system of Bosnia and Herzegovina has led to certain restrictions on the rights of the defence in investigation. Investigation is an important stage in criminal proceedings that is conducted for evidence and data collecting necessary to decide whether to file an indictment or discontinue the proceedings, as well as for evidence that can be presented at the main hearing and upon which the judgment is rendered. It is therefore necessary to ensure that a proper and lawful investigation is conducted. This means to make sure that all parties involved in the investigation, especially defence are treated in a fair manner. The right to defence is a fundamental human and constitutional right guaranteed by international conventions. The right to defence results in several individual rights enjoyed by suspects in preliminary proceedings. In order to ensure effective judicial protection of the rights of the suspects, the paper analyses the domestic criminal justice system and presents comparative legal solutions regarding the protection of procedural rights of the defence in investigation. The fundamental issues in analysing regulatory framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the lack of effective judicial protection of procedural rights of the defence, the absence of an effective legal remedy to conduct an investigation facilitating the principle of a fair trial for defence and the principle of equality of arms in pre-trial proceedings. In addition, the paper analyses the issue of informing the suspect of an order for investigation, since according to applicable regulations, the suspect does not even need to know about an investigation conducted against him, which is a violation of the principle of right to a fair trial

Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Judicial Cooperation Between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Extraditing Their Citizens

Institut izručenja najstariji je oblik međunarodne pravne pomoći koji je među državama članicama Europske unije zamijenjen europskim uhidbenim nalogom. U odnosu na treće države kakva je Bosna i Hercegovina izručenje je jedini instrument kojim se omogućava transfer osoba koje se trebaju izručiti zbog vođenja kaznenog postupka, ili izvršenja kazne zatvora, ili zbog druge mjere koja podrazumijeva oduzimanje slobode u državi moliteljici. Radi stalna nastojanja da se osiguraju pravna sigurnost, načelo zakonitosti i vladavina prava, države kao subjekti međunarodnog prava svoje odnose na području ekstradicijskog prava sve više reguliraju potpisivanjem bilateralnih sporazuma kojima žele ostvariti taj cilj. U tom smjeru Hrvatska i Bosna i Hercegovina zaključile su 28. studenog 2012. Ugovor o izručenju koji se s tim datumom počeo privremeno primjenjivati, a stupio je na snagu 6. ožujka 2014. Ugovorom su, između ostalog, ekstenzivnije uređene odredbe o izručenju vlastitih državljana, čime se na određen način odstupilo od tradicionalnog načela neizručenja vlastitih državljana. Autori u radu analiziraju odredbe Ugovora o izručenju s posebnim osvrtom na odredbe o izručenju vlastitih državljana, osobito državljana koji imaju dvojno državljanstvo, što je nerijetko slučaj državljana Hrvatske i Bosne i Hercegovine. Mnoge države u Europi i svijetu tradicionalno se snažno protive izručenju vlastitih državljana. Načelo neizručenja vlastitih državljana proizlazi iz suverenosti država i njezinih državljana te obveza koje ih vežu, a osobito nepovjerenja u pravosudne sustave drugih država. Međutim, imajući u vidu da je temeljni cilj izručenja borba protiv nekažnjavanja osoba za koje se sumnja da su počinile kazneno djelo ili koje su osuđene za to, tada bi se nepovjerenje kao razlog neizručenja vlastitih državljana trebalo uzeti s velikim oprezom. Da je načelo neizručenja vlastitih državljana u suvremenome kaznenom pravu zastarjelo, potvrđuje još i Konvencija o izručenju između država članica Europske unije navodeći da se izručenje ne smije odbiti s obrazloženjem da je osoba državljanin države moliteljice. Cilj je ovog rada analizom postojećega normativnog okvira i praktičnih primjera (ne)izručenja vlastitih državljana između Hrvatske i Bosne i Hercegovine upozoriti na probleme koji utječu na učinkovitu pravosudnu suradnju tih dviju država te ponuditi stajališta koja bi mogla pridonijeti razmatranju vrlo aktualnih pitanja.The institute of extradition is the oldest form of international legal assistance which has been replaced by the European arrest warrant in Member States of the European Union. Regarding the third countries, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, extradition is the only instrument enabling the transfer of persons that have to be extradited for criminal trial, imprisonment, or any other measure of deprivation of freedom in the applicant state. In an effort to ensure legal certainty, the principle of legality and the rule of law, states as subjects of international law increasingly regulate their relations in the field of extradition law by signing bilateral agreements in order to achieve that aim. Within this framework, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded the Treaty on Extradition on 28 November 2012. The Treaty was applied temporarily starting from the above date, and it came into force on 6 March 2014. The Treaty regulates the extradition of citizens, departing from the traditional principle of non-extradition of a state’s own citizens. The authors analyse the Treaty on Extradition with a special focus on extradition of a country’s own citizens, especially those with dual citizenship, which is often the case with citizens of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many European and world countries strongly oppose the extradition of their own citizens. The principle of non-extradition of a country’s own citizens is based on the concept of the sovereignty of states and their citizens and their mutual obligations, and it is often a consequence of distrust of judicial systems of other states. However, bearing in mind that the fundamental aim of extradition is the struggle against the absence of punishment for persons suspected or convicted of criminal offences, distrust as a reason for non-extradition should be taken with the greatest caution. The fact that the principle of non-extradition of a state’s own citizens is outdated in modern criminal law is confirmed by the Convention on Extradition between EU Member States according to which extradition cannot be rejected because a person is a citizen of applicant state. The aim of the paper is to draw attention to problems that have an impact on judicial cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina by analysing the existing normative framework and practical examples of (non)extradition of citizens of one’s own state and offer a contribution to solve these important issues

European Investigation Order As a New Instrument of Judicial Cooperation Between Member States in Criminal Cases With a Special Focus on Croatian Law

Ulazak u Europsku uniju za Republiku Hrvatsku značio je posve novo razdoblje u njezinu povijesnom i društvenom razvoju. Na području kaznenog prava to je podrazumijevalo implementaciju i harmonizaciju niza instituta kojima je cilj olakšati postupanje pravosudnih tijela i njihovu suradnju u kaznenim predmetima između država članica. U pet godina učinjeni su određeni koraci na tom putu. Međutim, osim analize učinjenog u ovom je razdoblju vrlo važno upozoriti i na otvorena pitanja čija praktična implikacija tek slijedi. Stoga je cilj rada uputiti na institut europskoga istražnog naloga koji je u hrvatsko kazneno zakonodavstvo, u skladu s Direktivom 2014/41/EU Europskog parlamenta i Vijeća od 3. travnja 2014. godine o europskom istražnom nalogu u kaznenim stvarima, uveden Zakonom o izmjenama i dopunama Zakona o pravosudnoj suradnji u kaznenim stvarima s državama članicama Europske unije u listopadu 2017. godine, a novi je institut u pravnim sustavima i drugih država članica. Europski je istražni nalog nakon implementacije europskoga uhidbenog naloga nastavak nastojanja harmonizirana djelovanja pravosudnih tijela država članica Europske unije u kaznenom postupku u cilju pribavljanja dokaza istražnim mjerama. Premda njegove implikacije tek slijede, radom se prikazuju prednosti njegova uvođenja i nedostatci koji proizlaze iz tumačenja pojedinih zakonskih odredaba i stavova kaznenopravne javnosti.The accession of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union opened a whole new era in its historical and social development. In the area of criminal law, this involves the implementation and harmonization of a number of institutes aimed at facilitating the treatment of judicial organs and their cooperation in criminal cases between Member States. Over a period of five years, certain steps have been taken in this direction. However, in addition to analyzing the results achieved in this period, it is very important to point to open questions whose practical implications will be discussed. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to point to the institute of European Investigation Order, which was introduced in Croatian criminal legislation by the Act on Amendments of the Law on Judicial Co-operation in Criminal Matters with the Member States of the European Union of October 2017 in accordance with Directive 2014/41 / EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 3th 2014 on a European Investigation Order in Criminal Matters, which is a new institute in the legal systems of other Member States. Following the implementation of the European Arrest Warrant, the European Investigation Order is a continuation of the efforts to harmonize activities of judicial organs of EU Member States in criminal proceedings with the aim of obtaining evidence through investigative measures. Although its implications will be seen in the future, the paper discusses all the advantages of its introduction and the deficiencies that arise from the interpretation of certain legal provisions by criminal law scholars

Infodemia in the Time of Covid 19: Criminal Law and Security Aspect

Pandemija SARS-CoV-2 u Europi i svijetu dovela je do brojnih pravnih, ekonomskih, medicinskih, sigurnosnih i ostalih izazova. S obzirom na brzinu kojom se šire (dez)informacije o SARS-CoV-2 došlo je do pojave novog termina - infodemija. Infodemija predstavlja poplavu informacija o virusu, pri čemu je jako teško razlikovati istinu od laži. Osim toga širenje dezinformacija može imati višestruke negativne posljedice, vezano uz zdravlje stanovništva - ponajviše psihičko zdravlje, ali i na svijest građana o aktualnoj globalnoj situaciji. Ujedno, infodemija može biti povezana i s govorom mržnje što konačno vodi do rizičnog ponašanja. Naime, takvi lažni natpisi posljedično uvode građane u kažnjivu zonu nepoštivanjem epidemioloških mjera nadležnih tijela pri čemu vrlo lako može doći do svjesnog protupravnog djelovanja u vidu kaznenog djela širenja zarazne bolesti. U tu svrhu Europska unija nastoji snažno odgovoriti na takve neželjene i opasne pojave konkretnim mjerama koje se mogu brzo implementirati kroz postojeće pravne resurse. Autori se u ovom radu bave analizom problema širenja lažnih vijesti s kaznenopravnog i sigurnosnog aspekta uz poredbena rješenja. Naime, hrvatsko kazneno zakonodavstvo ne inkriminira širenje lažnih vijesti kao kazneno djelo, već je širenje lažnih vijesti u našem pravnom sustavu propisano kao prekršaj u Zakonu o prekršajima protiv javnog reda i mira koji je nastao još u doba bivše države. Slijedom navedenog, autori nastoje pružiti odgovore na niz pravnih i sigurnosnih pitanja. Ponajprije, koje pravne posljedice nastaju širenjem lažnih vijesti o SARS-CoV-2, mogućnosti pooštravanja sankcija za širenje glasina, gdje nastaje ograničenje prava slobode izvještavanja, te kako lažne informacije utječu na nacionalnu sigurnost?The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe and the world has led to a number of legal, economic, medical, security and other challenges. Given the speed with which (dis) information about SARS-CoV-2 is spreading, a new term has emerged – infodemia. Infodemia is a flood of information about the virus, and it is very difficult to distinguish the truth from falsehoods. In addition, the spread of misinformation can have multiple negative consequences, both for the health of the population, mental health in particular, and the awareness of citizens about the current global situation. At the same time, infodemia can be associated with hate speech, which ultimately leads to risky behavior. Namely, such false inscriptions consequently may lead citizens into the criminal zone by disrespecting the epidemiological measures prescribed by competent authorities, which can very easily lead to global illegal action in the form of criminal offense of spreading infectious diseases. To this end, the EU seeks to respond to such undesirable and dangerous phenomena, with concrete measures that can be implemented quickly through existing legal resources. In this paper, the authors are analyzing the problem of false news spreading from criminal law and security aspects, along with comparative solutions. Namely, Croatian criminal legislation does not criminalize the dissemination of false news as a criminal offense. In our legal system the dissemination of false news is prescribed as a misdemeanor in the Misdemeanors against Public Peace and Order Act, which originated in the former state. Following the above, the authors seek to provide answers to a number of legal and security issues. First of all, what are the legal consequences of spreading false news about SARS-CoV-2, how can rumour spreading sanctions be aggravated, where are freedom of the press restrictions, and how do false information affect national security

Electrospun Poly(lactide) Fibers as Carriers for Controlled Release of Biochanin A

The aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of using electrospun polylactide (PLA) fibers as a carrier of the phytoestrogen biochanin A. Polylactide fibers were prepared with different contents of biochanin A by using an electrospinning method at specific process parameters. The obtained electrospun polylactide fibers, as carriers of biochanin A, were characterized by means of different methods. The presented results showed that the mechanical properties of PLA have not changed significantly in the presence of biochanin A. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the fine fiber structure is retained without visible deformations and biochanin A crystals on the surface of the fibres. The analysis by infrared spectroscopy showed that there are no strong interactions between polylactide and biochanin A molecules, which is a good prerequisite for the diffusion release of biochanin A from PLA fibers.The release of biochanin A from PLA fibers in buffer solution pH 7.4 at 37 °C was monitored by applying the HPLC method. The rate and time of the release of biochanin A from PLA fibers is in correlation with the amount of the active ingredient in the matrix of the carrier and follows zero-order kinetics. PLA fibers with biochanin A exhibit concentration-dependent activity on proliferation and migration of L929 fibroblasts in direct culture system in vitro, and proved to be suitable for a potential formulation for use in wound healing