FIRST PART

TITLE V- REMAND ORDERS

CHAPTER IV- REVOCATION AND CESSATION OF REMAND ORDERS

Article 260- Revocation and replacement of remand orders

1. Coercive and restraining remand orders are revoked immediately when it is proved that the grounds and criteria for their application are lacking.

2. When security needs are lowered or when the remand order applied does not match up to the importance of the fact or the sentence which may be issued, the court replaces the remand order with another lenient one.

3. When the security needs are elevated, the court on the application of the prosecutor replaces the applied remand order with a more severe one.

4. The application of the prosecutor or defendant for the revocation or replacement of the remand order is heard by the court within five days from its filing. When the case warrants, the court also decides ex-officio during pre-trial admition of evidence or during trial.

Article 261- Cessation of remand orders

1. Remand orders cease when:

a) on the same act and against the same person, the case has been dismissed or a decision of acquittal has been issued;

b) the sentence is quashed or suspended on condition;

c) the duration served under pre-detention is longer than the sentence issued;

d) after the expiry of the time limit provided for under article 245, paragraph 1 letter “ç”, renewal has not been ordered within the boundaries provided for under articles 264 and 267.

2. Pre-detention ordered during preliminary investigations is ceases if the court does not proceed with the interrogation within the time limit provided for under article 248.

3. Cessation of remand orders does not prevent the court or any other authority in carrying out the rights recognised by law in enforcing the supplementary punishments or other restraining orders.

Article 262- Consequences of cessation of remand orders

1. When the arrest ceases, the court immediately releases the person against whom the order has been issued.

2. In case that other remand orders cease, the court decides their immediate removal.

Article 263- Duration of pre-detention

1. Pre-detention ceases if since its execution the following time limits have lapsed without the documents being filed in court:

a) three months, when proceeding for criminal contraventions;

b) six months, when proceeding for crimes sentenced up to ten years of imprisonment;

c) twelve months when proceeding for crimes sentenced to not less than ten years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.

2. The pre-detention ceases if since the date of filing of documents in court, the following time limits have lapsed without a decision being issued in the first instance:

a) two months when proceeding for criminal contraventions;

b) nine months when proceeding for crimes sentenced up to ten years of imprisonment;

c) twelve months when proceeding for crimes sentenced to not less than ten years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.

3. The pre-detention ceases if, since the date of issue of the sentence in the first instance, the following time limits have lapsed, without a decision being issued in the court of appeal:

a) two months when proceeding for criminal contraventions;

b) six months when proceeding for crimes sentenced up to ten years of imprisonment;

c) nine months when proceeding for crimes sentenced to not less than ten years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.

4. In case where the decision is quashed by the Supreme Court and the case is returned to the court of first instance or court of appeal and also where the decision is quashed by the court of appeal and returned to the court of first instance, time limits provided for in each instance of proceeding start to run again from the day of decision in the Supreme Court or Appeal Court.

5. In case where the defendant under pre-detention absconds, time limits start to run again from the time he is placed in pre-detention again.

6. The entire time period of pre-detention, taking also into account the extension of time provided for under article 264, point 2, cannot exceed the following time limits:

a) ten months when proceeding for criminal contraventions;

b) two years when proceeding for crimes sentenced in minimum up to ten years of imprisonment;

c) three years when proceeding for crimes sentenced to not less than ten years of imprisonment or life imprisonment.

7. When at the end of the pre-detention time limit, the prosecutor communicates to the defendant a new charge, which prescribes longer pre-detention time limits than the first charge, he asks the court to assign a new pre-detention time limit. The court decides in judicial session, after hearing the parties.

8. When the new charge relates to a new act, which was unknown at the beginning of the proceedings, the court assigns a new time limit, which starts to run from the beginning, whereas in cases where only the legal classification of the offence changes, the court assigns the remand order, and the time limit start to run based from the previous remand order.

PART II

TITLE X- JURISDICTIONAL RELATIONS WITH FOREIGN AUTHORITIES

CHAPTER III- EXECUTION OF CRIMINAL DECISION

SECTION I- EXECUTION OF FOREIGN CRIMINAL DECISION

Article 515- Coercive measures

1. Upon request of the prosecutor the court that is competent to recognize a foreign sentence may impose a coercive measure to the sentenced person who is in the Albanian territory.

2. The chairman of the court, within five days from the execution of the coercive measure, takes steps regarding the identification of the person and notifies him the right to a defence lawyer.

3. The coercive measure imposed under this article shall be revoked when from the start of its execution have expired three months without being rendered the decision of recognition from the district court or six months without becoming final the decision.

4. Revocation and replacement of the coercive measure is subject to decision of district court.

5. The copy of the decision rendered by the court is notified, after the execution, to the prosecutor, the sentenced from the foreign court and his defence lawyer who may appeal to the court of appeal.