PROTECTION OF JUVENILES IN HUNGARIAN CRIMINAL LAW WITH SPECIAL REGARD TO DRUG-RELATED OFFENCES

Abstract

The study examines the provisions of Hungarian criminal law concerning juveniles, with particular regard to drug-related offences. The authors outline the dogmatic foundations of criminal liability for young persons and emphasise the transitional nature of juvenile status between childhood and adulthood. The paper reviews the relevant international normative framework, especially the United Nations drug control conventions and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and then analyses the provisions of the Hungarian Criminal Code that provide enhanced criminal law protection for persons under the age of eighteen. The analysis demonstrates that Hungarian criminal policy treats the protection of minors as a priority objective, particularly in relation to drug trafficking and the offence of inducing pathological addiction. These norms aim to prevent the exploitation of young people in the illegal drug market and to safeguard their physical and mental development.