Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (as in force on 1 April 2022)
This document has been produced for informational purposes only.
Section 173 (1) A person who carries out research seeking to modify the genome of an
embryo on a human embryo is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for
one to five years.
(2) A person who
a) uses a human embryo to produce a specimen with characteristics different from or
additional to those determined upon conception, or
b) separates the cells of a human embryo,
shall be punished by imprisonment for two to eight years.
(3) A person who carries out preparations for a criminal offence specified in paragraph (2)
is guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to two years.
Creating genetically identical human beings
Section 174 (1) A person who creates genetically identical human specimens in the course
of medical research or intervention is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by
imprisonment for five to ten years.
(2) A person who commits preparation for a criminal offence specified in paragraph (1)
shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years.
Illegal use of a human body
Section 175 (1) A person who acquires illegally, places on the market for financial gain or
trades in human genes, cells, gametes, embryos, organs, tissues, whole corpses or parts
thereof or dead foetuses is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to
three years.
(2) The punishment shall be imprisonment for one to five years if the illegal use of a human
body is committed by an employee of a healthcare service provider relating to his profession.
(3) The punishment shall be imprisonment for one to five years in the case specified in
paragraph (1) or two to eight years in the case specified in paragraph (2) if the illegal use of a
human body is committed
a) against a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years,
b) regularly for generating income, or
c) in a criminal conspiracy.
(4) A person who commits preparation for the illegal use of a human body is guilty of a
misdemeanour and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to one year in the case specified
in paragraph (1) or up to two years in the cases specified in paragraphs (2) and (3).
(5) For the purposes of this section, embryo also means an embryo outside a mother’s body
and an embryo produced during a special procedure for human reproduction that was not
implanted into a womb.
CHAPTER XVII
CRIMINAL OFFENCES ENDANGERING HEALTH
Drug trafficking
Section 176 (1) A person who offers, hands over, places on the market, or trades in, drugs is
guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for two to eight years.
(2) The punishment shall be imprisonment for five to ten years if the criminal offence is
committed
a) in a criminal conspiracy,
b) by a public officer or a person performing public duties using that capacity, or
49
Contact: eu-forditas@im.gov.hu