Chương XXX Bộ luật Tố tụng hình sự 2015: Thủ tục áp dụng biện pháp bắt buộc chữa bệnh

Chapter XXX

PROCEDURES FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF CIVIL COMMITMENT

Article 447. Circumstances and authority to enforce civil commitment

1. Investigation authorities, procuracies and courts, as per the progress of legal proceedings, shall requisition forensic psychiatric assessment on the grounds that the perpetrators of acts dangerous to society do not have criminal capacity as per Article 21 of the Cirminal Law.

2. The procuracy shall rely on the findings of the forensic psychiatric assessment to make decisions on the enforcement of civil commitment during the stage of investigation and prosecution. Similar decisions during the stage of adjudication and sentence enforcement shall fall into the authority of the Court.

Article 448. Investigative activities against person with uncertain criminal capacity

1. Investigation authorities must clarify these matters on the grounds that the person causing danger to society does not have criminal capacity:

a) The acts endangering society occurred;

b) Mental conditions and illness of the person endangering society;

c) Whether the person endangering society loses sense of awareness or ability to control his actions.

2. Investigation authorities, when conducting legal proceedings, must assure the presence of a defense counsel after the person endangering society is determined to succumb to mental illness or other diseases that deprive him of sense of awareness or ability to control actions. A representative of the mentally ill person can participate in legal proceedings when necessary.

Article 449. Enforcement of civil commitment during the stage of investigation

1. When the forensic psychiatric assessment, as requisitioned by investigation authorities, finds the suspect mentally ill or deprived of sense of awareness or ability to control actions due to other diseases, investigation authorities shall propose in writing civil commitment with findings of the assessment to the equivalent Procuracy for approval.

In 03 days upon the receipt of the written proposition from investigation authorities and findings of the assessment, the Procuracy shall decide to enforce medical treatments against the suspect or request the investigation authorities to requisition further or repeated assessments if considering existing grounds insufficient.

2. If the Procuracy decides to enforce civil commitment, the investigation authorities must decide to suspend or terminate investigative activities against the suspect.

Article 450. Decisions by the Procuracy during the stage of prosecution

1. After receiving the case file and investigative findings, the Procuracy, if finding grounds of the suspect’s possession of no criminal capacity, shall requisition a forensic psychiatric assessment.

2. The procuracy shall consider the findings of the assessment to make one of these decisions:

a) Suspend the case and enforce civil commitment;

b) Dismiss the case and enforce civil commitment;

c) Return the case file for further investigation;

d) Prosecute the suspect before a Court.

3. Apart from civil commitment, the Procuracy can handle other issues of the case.

Article 451. Decisions by the Court during the stage of adjudication

1. The court, after accepting the case and grasping grounds that the suspect or defendant does not possess criminal capacity, shall requisition forensic psychiatric assessment.

2. The court shall consider the findings of the assessment and make one of these decisions:

a) Suspend or dismiss the case and enforce civil commitment;

b) Return case files for repeated or further investigation;

c) Grant exemption of criminal liabilities or penalties, and enforce civil commitment;

d) Try the case.

3. The court, apart from its decision to enforce civil commitment, can handle matters of compensation or other issues of the case.

Article 452. Enforcement of civil commitment against persons incarcerated

1. The prison, detention center or criminal sentence enforcement unit of the provincial Police office shall propose the provincial People’s Court or military Court of the military zone, at the place of a prisoner's imprisonment, to requisition forensic psychiatric assessment on the grounds that such prisoner allegedly succumbs to mental illness or other diseases bereaving him of abilities of perception or action control.

2. The president of the provincial People’s Court or military Court of the military zone, at the place of the prisoner’s imprisonment, shall consider the findings of the forensic psychiatric assessment and decide to suspend the execution of the jail sentence and enforce civil commitment.

The said person, when cured, shall continue serving time if it is unjustifiable to excuse the jail sentence.

Article 453. Complaints, appeals and protests

1. The filing and handling of complaints against a Procuracy's decisions to enforce civil commitment shall abide by Chapter XXXIII of this Law.

2. The filing of appeals or protests to a Court's rulings on the enforcement of civil commitment shall follow the stipulations for appeals or protests to the rulings of a first-instance court in this Law.

3. A decision to enforce civil commitment shall mantain its effect until it is replaced by another decision or rendered void.

Article 454. Termination of civil commitment

1. Civil commitment shall transpire at a mandatory mental treatment facility designated by the Procuracy or Court according to the laws.

2. When the head of the mandatory mental treatment facility announces the successful healing of a person forced to undergo medical treatments, the authority proposing such treatments or the Procuracy or Court enforcing the treatments shall requisition a forensic psychiatric assessment of the conditions of the said person.

The procuracy or court shall consider the assessment's findings on the treated person and decide to terminate civil commitment.

3. The authority proposing civil commitment or the Procuracy or Court must promptly send the decision to terminate treatments to the treatment facility and the representative of the person forced to receive treatments.

4. Legal proceedings and sentences suspended can only be resumed according to this Law.