Deferral of the announcement of the verdict (HAGB)

Deferral of the announcement of the verdict allowed courts, for prison sentences below a set threshold, to postpone announcing a conviction and to dismiss the case if the accused completed a supervision period in compliance with the imposed obligations. The judgment produced no legal consequences and was not entered in the criminal record.

The Constitutional Court annulled the underlying provision, reasoning that it undermined victims' rights and lacked adequate review mechanisms, with the annulment taking effect at the end of the period granted. Since that date, no such deferral may be ordered in new proceedings.

Supervision of deferrals granted before the annulment, and the consequences of violations, are handled under transitional rules and case law, so current practice should be verified case by case. The institution's removal has increased the importance of other individualisation tools such as alternative sanctions and suspension of sentences.