Why will the new Criminal Code come into effect in August 2026?

Santo Domingo.– The new Penal Code instituted through Law 74-25, will come into effect in August 2026, after a vacatio legis period of 12 months, with the purpose that the transitional stage provides the necessary time for citizens, institutions and operators of the justice system to know, understand and prepare for the application of the new penal regime.

The vacatio legis, a legal term of Latin origin meaning "vacancy of the law," refers to the period between the official publication of a law and its entry into force. This figure is fundamental in modern legal systems, as it avoids the immediate application of norms that might require institutional adjustments, training processes, or operational adaptations, especially in legal bodies as complex as the Criminal Code.

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This interval functions as a "maturation" period for the law and allows judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, police officers, legislators, academics, and the general public to become familiar with the new principles, crimes, penalties, and procedures established in the regulations. Unlike other laws that may come into effect the day after their publication, in the case of the new Criminal Code, a special period of one year was established, given its breadth and its structural impact on the criminal justice system and the multiple changes it introduces with respect to the previous text that was in force since 1884.