Slovenia to reclassify theft as a criminal offense

The Slovenian government has decided to reclassify theft as a criminal offense following a review of the Šutarje Act (the Act on Emergency Measures for Ensuring Public Safety). This decision comes after the Supreme Court requested a constitutionality assessment of Article 12 of the said law.

The current legal framework reclassifies low-value theft as a misdemeanor rather than a criminal offense. This has created what the Supreme Court described as a legal anomaly and an absurd situation where a more serious act (classified as a misdemeanor) might result in a fine, while a less serious act (classified as a criminal offense) could lead to imprisonment. The government concluded that the current regulation has not achieved its intended purpose and will prepare legislative amendments to restore theft to the category of criminal offenses.