New Penal Code 2018

Brief Description

Afghan government adopted the new penal code in 2018. The new penal code has helped in improving legal services and access to justice for women in Afghanistan. The new penal code defines Rape in the Article 636 and considers heavy punishment for the offenders. The code does not credit the consent of the child and cases of sexual encounter with an underage child are considered as rape. Also, the new penal code of Afghanistan comprises provisions on cybercrimes, along with crimes related to sexual harassment. Under this code, Cybercrimes are defined as crimes that occur in cyberspace through the use of modern technology, information, and electronic communication. Moreover, in order to protect official websites and social media pages from cyber-attacks, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is working on setting up a Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT) based on consultation with its international partners including the US government security agencies.