General Provisions

Article 14.

The rights and duties of the deputy are:

- to participate in sessions of Parliament and discussions and debates therein and to vote,

- to make motions and pose questions,

- to pose questions to the Prime Minister and members of the Government,

- to participate in sessions of working bodies and to speak therein, and to vote in the working bodies of which he/she is a member,

- to accept appointments determined for him/her by decisions of Parliament,

- to receive regular monetary remuneration,

- to receive compensation for specific material costs.

The deputy shall have other rights and duties as stipulated by the provisions of the Constitution, law and these Standing Orders.

Article 15.

The following shall be submitted to deputies:

- draft legislation adopted by Parliament,

- Narodne novine, the official journal of the Republic of Croatia,

- Izvješća Hrvatskoga sabora (‘Croatian Parliament Reports’), the bulletin of Parliament,

- reports, analyses and other materials which are to be discussed and debated in Parliament.

Article 16.

All official materials, documents and data that are prepared or collected in the working bodies of Parliament and the Parliamentary Staff Service, the Government, Ministries and other state administrative bodies which pertain to discussion and debate in Parliament shall be made available to deputies.

The materials, documents and data from Paragraph (1) hereof may also be made available to deputies by means of an Internet site depending on the technical capabilities of Parliament.

Article 17.

The Speaker or chair of Parliament and the chairperson of a working body shall be obliged to provide notifications and explanations to parliamentary deputies.

The Secretary of Parliament shall be obliged to provide notifications and explanations to parliamentary deputies on the work of the Parliamentary Staff Service.

Article 18.

Parliamentary deputies shall be obliged to maintain the confidentiality of all data of which they acquire knowledge in the performance of their parliamentary duties and which, according to valid legislation and regulations, are designated as confidential, and they shall be held accountable for this under law.

Parliament may adopt a code of ethics to govern the behaviour of parliamentary deputies.

Article 19.

Deputies may request that the Parliamentary Staff Service provide him/her with assistance in the performance of his/her parliamentary duties, primarily in the interests of preparing proposals to be submitted, in the performance of operations and tasks entrusted to him/her by a parliamentary working body and to provide supplemental documentation for individual items on the agenda of sessions of Parliament or working bodies, and he/she may additionally seek expert information and explanations.

In the Administrative Service, technical and computer equipment and materials that are necessary for the performance of their duties shall be made available to parliamentary deputies. The technical and other conditions for their work shall also be secured.

Article 20.

Parliamentary identification cards shall be issued to parliamentary deputies.

The immunity rights of deputies shall be cited on their identification cards.

Upon the cessation of parliamentary duties and during the suspension of the deputy’s term of office, the deputy shall be obliged to return the parliamentary identification card.

The form of Parliamentary identification card shall be established by decision of Parliament at the proposal of the Elections, Appointments and Administration Committee.

The Secretary of Parliament shall administer the issuing of parliamentary identification cards and records of issued cards.

Article 21.

As at the date of the constituent session of Parliament, or the commencement of the performance of parliamentary duties, until the date of the constituent session of the new convocation of Parliament, deputies shall be entitled to a salary and other rights pursuant to law.

Article 22.

After the commencement of the performance of parliamentary duties, deputies shall be obliged to complete a questionnaire.

The content and form of the questionnaire from Paragraph (1) hereof shall be established by the Elections, Appointments and Administration Committee.

Legal Immunity of Deputies

Article 23.

The parliamentary deputy shall have legal immunity as at the constituent session of Parliament until the end of his/her term of office.

When the conditions are fulfilled for the detention of a parliamentary deputy or the filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy, the authorised state body shall be obliged to seek approval therefore from Parliament.

The petition for the approval of detention or filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy shall be submitted by the authorised state body to the Speaker of Parliament for its referral to the Credentials and Privileges Commission.

Article 24.

The Credentials and Privileges Commission shall be obliged to immediately discuss the request for the approval of detention or filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy as well as the report on the detention of a parliamentary deputy caught in the act of committing a crime which carries a legally-mandated prison sentence with a duration of five years and submit a report thereupon to Parliament at the next scheduled session.

Article 25.

With reference to the request for approval of detention or filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy, the Parliament shall decide, based on the report of the Credentials and Privileges Commission, on whether to approve detention or the filing of criminal charges against the parliamentary deputy.

Article 26.

Parliament shall inform the court with jurisdiction and the public prosecutor of its decision pertaining to the detention or filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy.

Article 27.

Between sessions of Parliament, approval for restriction of freedom or the continuation of criminal proceedings is granted by the Credentials and Privileges Commission, and this body shall additionally decide on the application of legal immunity for a parliamentary deputy.

Parliament shall confirm such approvals and decisions at its next scheduled session.

A parliamentary deputy who is called in for questioning by the authorities has the right to refuse to appear for such questioning.

Article 28.

When Parliament or the Credentials and Privileges Commission grants approval for the detention or the filing of criminal charges against a parliamentary deputy, the parliamentary deputy may be detained or criminal proceedings may be conducted, but only for the criminal act for which approval was granted.

Deputy Clubs

Article 29.

A deputy club in Parliament may be established by:

- a political party which has not less than three deputies in Parliament,

- two or more political parties which jointly have not less than three deputies in Parliament,

- not less than three independent parliamentary deputies,

- parliamentary deputies elected as representatives of national minorities.

A deputy may be a member of only one deputy club, while a deputy representing a national minority may additionally be a member of the deputy club of the party to which he/she belongs with the consent of that party.

The chairperson of a deputy club shall have the status of the chairperson of a parliamentary working body as this pertains to rights and obligations.

Article 30.

Deputy clubs shall be obliged to inform the Secretary of Parliament of their establishment, and submit their procedural rules and data on membership. The Secretary of Parliament shall secure the adequate facilities and technical and other conditions for work to deputy clubs suited to the number of club members (session rooms, transcripts, photocopying, delivery of materials and other services).

A deputy club shall be entitled to employ a person to act as club secretary. As a rule, such a person is selected from the Parliamentary Staff Service. By way of derogation, a deputy club shall be entitled to employ a person to act as club secretary who is not an employee of the Parliamentary Staff Service but financed by parliamentary funds, although only for a limited time.

Deputy clubs may employ one advisor or more for each additional fifteen club members. Such advisors may be selected from among the ranks of the Parliamentary Staff Service or outside of it, and the costs of their employment shall be covered by parliamentary funds.

The advisors from Paragraph (3) hereof shall fulfil all conditions stipulated by law and other regulations.

Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Presidency and Secretary of Parliament