Act C of 2012 on the Criminal Code (as in force on 1 April 2022)
This document has been produced for informational purposes only.
Fish poaching
Section 246 A person who
a) engages in any activity aimed at catching fish using, without authorisation, a fishing net
or other fishing equipment, other than a fishing rod,
b) engages in any activity aimed at catching fish using prohibited means or methods, or in a
no-fishing area, as defined in a separate law,
is guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to two years.
Organising illegal animal fights
Section 247 (1) A person who organises, holds, organises betting on or bets on an animal
fight featuring vertebrate animals is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment
for up to three years.
(1a) A person who attends an animal fight is guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be
punished by imprisonment for up to two years.
(2) A person who acquires, keeps, breeds, trains, teaches or places on the market a
vertebrate animal for the purposes of animal fights is guilty of a misdemeanour and shall be
punished by imprisonment for up to two years.
(3) If the criminal offence of organising illegal animal fights is committed by a special
recidivist, the punishment shall be
a) imprisonment for one to five years in a case specified in paragraph (1),
b) imprisonment for up to three years in a case specified in paragraph (1a) or (2).
(4) For the purposes of paragraph (3), concerning special recidivism, damaging natural
values if committed causing the death of an animal, animal cruelty, organising illegal animal
fights and violation of obligations related to keeping dangerous animals or dangerous dogs
shall be considered similar criminal offences.
Violation of waste management regulations
Section 248 (1) A person who
a) engages in waste management activities without registration or notification, or without or
exceeding the limits of a permit, or
b) engages in any other illegal activity concerning waste, provided that it is capable of
endangering human life, physical integrity, health, the soil, water, air or their components, or
a specimen of a living organism
is guilty of a felony and shall be punished by imprisonment for up to three years.
(2) A person who disposes of waste
a) capable of endangering human life, physical integrity, health, the soil, water, air or their
components, or a specimen of a living organism, or
b) of significant quantity
in a location not licensed for such purposes by an authority, is guilty of a felony and shall be
punished by imprisonment for up to three years.
(3) The punishment shall be imprisonment for one to five years if the criminal offence
specified in paragraph (1) or (2) is committed
a) with hazardous waste,
b) with a particularly significant quantity of waste,
c) by a special recidivist.
(4) The punishment shall be imprisonment for two to eight years if the criminal offence
specified in paragraph (3) a) qualifies also under paragraph (3) b).
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Contact: eu-forditas@im.gov.hu