4 Amendments of Janusz WOJCIECHOWSKI related to 2013/0407(COD)
Amendment 110 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 20 a (new)
Recital 20 a (new)
(20a) In Member States in which an offender can act as a witness for the state and be granted impunity in exchange for testifying against accomplices, that system may be distorted and used to make false accusations. Efforts should therefore be made to ensure that the evidence of a state’s witness is not relied upon uncritically, but that corroborating evidence is obtained. The testimony of a state’s witness should be a trail leading to other evidence, not the sole evidence in the case.
Amendment 161 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Member States in which an offender can act as a state’s witness shall ensure that when establishing the guilt of suspects or accused persons the testimony of any such state’s witness does not constitute the sole prosecution evidence and that it is supported by other evidence.
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 5 – paragraph 3 b (new)
Article 5 – paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Member States shall ensure that in cases involving serious offences attracting severe penalties, the accused and the most important witnesses are heard at least once by an independent court or an investigating judge.
Amendment 175 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
Article 6 – paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Evidence based on the explanations of an accused person who has pleaded guilty should not be treated as decisive proof of guilt if it is not supported by other evidence, in particular in proceedings where the accused pleaded guilty during the investigation and then withdrew that plea in court.