News Center- The Turkish parliament passed Wednesday a judicial reform bill, also known as the “10th Judiciary Package”, which was criticized by the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and opposition parties.

The approved judicial reform bill includes the increase in the lower and upper limits of prison sentences for attempted crimes, intentional injury, serious injury and threat crimes. For instance, the lower limits of prison sentence for simple bodily injury raises from three months to six months and the lower limits of prison sentence for serious injury raises from three years to four years.

The lower limit of the prison sentence for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs rises from three months to six months. Inmates over the age of 80 will be eligible to serve their sentences of up to six years under house arrest. Inmates who are elderly, ill or disabled and deemed unable to survive independently in prison conditions, will be also eligible to serve their sentences under house arrest. However, this does not include those serving aggravated life imprisonments.