MOSCOW, September 29 (RAPSI) – The State Duma has passed in the third and final reading a federal draft law envisaging that defendants charged with tax offences are not to be held criminally liable in cases where they have repaid the amounts in question in the course of court proceedings, according to the database of the lower house of Russia’s Parliament.

The bill was developed by Russia’s Supreme Court with the aim to humanize criminal policies with respect to tax and insurance payments defaulters.

The document answers the tasks of further humanization of criminal policies and envisages that there is to be created an environment ensuring the fullest possible observance of the rights of suspects and defendants in tax cases, the explanatory note to the bill reads.

Earlier, the law has prescribed termination of criminal proceedings in tax cases only if the damages were compensated before the start of court hearings.