Transitional rules on penalties and procedures

This article explains how rules on penalties and legal procedures are applied over time.

The general provisions on administrative penalties apply from January 1, 1993. From that date, the rules governing violations and their consequences come into force.

Administrative sanctions linked to criminal offences, such as licence suspension or revocation, apply only to offences committed after the Code entered into force. This ensures that these sanctions are not applied retroactively.

As for ongoing legal cases at the time a new law changes court jurisdiction, these cases continue to be handled by the original judge, according to the previous rules. Even if the new law assigns jurisdiction to a different court, such as a justice of the peace, ongoing cases are not transferred.

Overall, this article ensures legal continuity and prevents retroactive application of penalties or disruption of ongoing proceedings.