Latvia

The Criminal Law

General Part

Chapter II
Criminal Offences

Section 18. Participation of Several Persons in a Criminal Offence

The participation by two or more persons knowingly in joint commission of an intentional criminal offence is participation or joint participation.

Section 19. Participation

Criminal acts committed knowingly by which two or more persons (that is, a group) jointly, knowing such, have directly committed an intentional criminal offence shall be considered to be participation (joint commission). Each of such persons is a participant (joint perpetrator) in the criminal offence.

Section 20. Joint Participation

(1) An act or failure to act committed knowingly, by which a person (joint participant) has jointly with another person (perpetrator), participated in the commission of an intentional criminal offence, but he himself or she herself has not been the direct perpetrator of it, shall be considered to be joint participation. Organisers, instigators and abettors are joint participants in a criminal offence.

(2) A person who has organised or directed the commission of a criminal offence shall be considered to be an organiser.

(3) A person who has induced another person to commit a criminal offence shall be considered to be an instigator.

(4) A person who knowingly has promoted the commission of a criminal offence, providing advice, direction, or means, or removing impediments for the commission of such, as well as a person who has previously promised to conceal the perpetrator or joint participant, the instrumentalities or means for committing the criminal offence, trail of the criminal offence or the objects acquired by criminal means or has previously promised to acquire or to sell these objects shall be considered to be an abettor.

(5) A joint participant shall be held liable in accordance with the same Section of this Law which provides for the liability of the perpetrator.

(6) Individual constituent elements of a criminal offence which refer to a perpetrator or joint participant do not affect the liability of other participants or joint participants.

(7) If a joint participant has not had knowledge of a criminal offence committed by a perpetrator or other joint participants, he or she shall not be held criminally liable for such.

(8) If the perpetrator has not completed the offence for reasons independent of his or her will, the joint participants are liable for joint participation in the relevant attempted offence. If the perpetrator has not commenced commission of the offence, the joint participants are liable for preparation for the relevant offence.

(9) Voluntary withdrawal, by an organiser or instigator from the completing of commission of a criminal offence shall be considered as such only in cases when he or she, in due time, has done everything possible to prevent the commission with his or her joint participation of the contemplated criminal offence and this offence has not been committed. An abettor shall not be held criminally liable if he or she has voluntarily refused to provide promised assistance before the commencement of the criminal offence.

Section 21. Organised Groups

(1) An organised group is an association formed by more than two persons, which has been created for purpose of jointly committing one or several criminal offences and the participants of which in accordance with previous agreement have divided responsibilities.

(2) Liability of a person for the commission of an offence within an organised group shall apply in the cases set forth in this Law for formation and leadership of a group, and for participation in preparation for a serious or especially serious crime or in commission of a crime, irrespective of the role of the person in the jointly committed offence.

Section 22. Previously Unpromised Concealment or Failure to Inform

(1) Previously unpromised concealment of a perpetrator or joint participants in a crime, or of instrumentalities or means for commission of a crime, trail of a crime or objects acquired by criminal means, or failure to inform about a crime are not joint participation, and criminal liability for such shall apply only in the cases provided for in this Law.

(2) The betrothed, spouse, parents, children, brothers and sisters, grandparents and grandchildren of a person who has committed a crime are not liable for previously unpromised concealment or failure to inform.

(3) In the cases set out in this Law other persons are also not liable for failure to inform.

Keywords

Commission through another person
Joint commission



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