The development of suspended prison sentences in Hungary

This chapter describes the characteristics of suspended prison sentences in Hungary by presenting in detail the current regulations and by describing its history from 1908 until the present day. Under current Hungarian law, a suspended prison sentence is not a separate type of punishment, but rather an option provided by the legislator to compensate for the harmful effects of short-term imprisonment. The development of suspended prison sentences in Hungary over the course of more than one century has been characterised by its gradual expansion, leading to its frequent use in contemporary times. Given that the sanction, which was first introduced in 1908, operated well in practice, options for its further expansion soon began to be considered. Subsequent amendments have gradually expanded the possibility of suspension. In terms of its wider role in the penal system, even the Supreme Court confirmed in 1959 that the suspension of imprisonment should not be considered exceptional. Consequently, even though the current Hungarian penal legislation does not provide for the mandatory imposition of suspended imprisonment, its imposition is hardly exceptional. Therefore, suspended prison sentences gradually gained increasing importance in the Hungarian penal system and play an important role even today.