The Public Prosecution issued a circular regarding the amending and supplementing provisions of the articles regulating checks, as stipulated in Law No. 71.24, which amends and supplements Law No. 15.95 concerning the Commercial Code, published in Official Gazette No. 7478 on January 29, 2026.
According to the circular addressed to the First Advocate General at the Court of Cassation, the Public Prosecutors at Courts of Appeal, and the Public Prosecutors at Courts of First Instance, this law, which entered into force upon its publication in the Official Gazette, includes important updates related to the Public Prosecution's work in all aspects of its intervention in public litigation. This is achieved by establishing legal mechanisms that allow for the settlement of the drawer's situation who defaulted on payment, whether during the preliminary investigation, trial, or even after a judicial decision has become final.
The circular clarified that, concerning prosecution restrictions and grounds for justification, the law introduced substantial amendments to the conditions for initiating public prosecution for offenses related to insufficient funds in a check upon presentation for payment. Article 325 of the Commercial Code makes prosecution contingent upon a legal prerequisite, namely a "notice" that must precede prosecution. This notice must be sent to the drawer by a judicial police officer, under the instructions of the Public Prosecution, with the aim of settling their situation within 30 days from the date of the notice.
It added that, following this notice, the drawer is subject to one of the judicial supervision measures stipulated in Article 161 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, including electronic monitoring via an electronic bracelet. The aforementioned period can be extended by an additional 30 days to settle the check's situation with the beneficiary's consent.
It indicated that paying the check's value or dropping the complaint for the check issuer who failed to maintain or establish sufficient funds has become a legal impediment to prosecution, provided that a fine of 2 percent of the check amount or deficit is paid.
Accordingly, the source adds, if the waiver or payment is made by the issuer, the latter can present the legal fine amount determined by Article 325 of the Commercial Code to the court registry, and the complaint will then be dismissed. Conversely, if the issuer refuses to appear or cannot pay the fine, this refusal must be included in the interrogation record before the public prosecution is initiated.
The law added new grounds for justification, making the offense of failing to maintain or establish sufficient funds for a check upon presentation for payment non-existent if the check was issued by a spouse, ascendant, or descendant of the first degree. The legislator used the phrase "no crime and no punishment," which renders the misdemeanor in Article 316(1) void. The aforementioned grounds for justification continue to apply to spouses for four years from the dissolution of the marriage contract.
Regarding criminalization and punishment, the circular noted that the law amended the penalties for a group of offenses in the Commercial Code under Articles 316, 318, and 319, which included custodial sentences and the prescribed fines.
Regarding the grounds for the dismissal of public prosecution or the suspension of sentence execution, the circular from the Public Prosecution Presidency clarified that Law No. 71.24 added important updates regarding the effects of reconciliation or withdrawal of a complaint on public prosecution or sentence execution.
En un esfuerzo por garantizar la óptima aplicación de las disposiciones contenidas en esta ley, el Fiscal General ha instado a los destinatarios de esta circular a velar por su aplicación con toda eficacia y seriedad.
El Fiscal General recordó que estas modificaciones introducidas por la Ley n.º 71.24 fueron publicadas en el Boletín Oficial el 29 de enero de 2026, y por lo tanto entraron en vigor a partir de ese día, lo que exige precaución en la aplicación de estas novedades y la ordenación de los efectos jurídicos para las disposiciones actualmente vigentes, de modo que las disposiciones procesales contenidas en la Ley n.º 71.24 comiencen de inmediato y los procedimientos en curso antes del 29 de enero de 2026 no estén sujetos a las nuevas formalidades (notificación).
Por el contrario, los condenados cuyos litigios aún estén en curso se beneficiarán de todas las nuevas garantías relativas a las condiciones de la acción pública y la suspensión de la ejecución de la pena al pagar el importe del cheque o la renuncia.
Añadió que las disposiciones sustantivas se aplican a todos los procedimientos en curso en el marco de la ley más favorable al acusado, incluso si la acción pública se inició bajo la ley anterior.
