A/66/44 appreciation to the State party for agreeing to report under this new procedure which facilitates the cooperation between the State party and the Committee. The Committee appreciates that the replies to the list of issues were submitted within the requested deadline. The Committee welcomes the constructive dialogue conducted with the high-level delegation and its efforts to provide explanations during the discussion of the report. B. Positive aspects (4) The Committee welcomes that, in the period since the consideration of the second periodic report, the State party has ratified or acceded to the following instruments: (a) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in 2003; (b) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, in 2003, and its Optional Protocols, in 2006; (c) Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, in 2004; (d) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, in 2004; (e) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in 2009. (5) The Committee notes with appreciation the State party’s comprehensive reforms in the field of human rights and ongoing efforts to revise its legislation in order to ensure stronger protection of human rights, including the right not to be subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The Committee welcomes in particular: (a) The amendment to article 90 of the Constitution according to which international treaties on human rights and fundamental freedoms prevail over national laws in case of conflict; (b) The adoption of the new Criminal Procedure Code (Law No. 5271) in 2005 and the new Penal Code (Law No. 5237) in 2004. In particular, the Committee welcomes the provisions regarding: (i) Increased penalties for the crime of torture (3–12 years imprisonment) (Penal Code, art. 94); (ii) Criminal liability for any individual who prevents or restricts the right of access to a lawyer (Criminal Procedure Code, art. 194); (iii) The right of the suspect or accused to appoint one or more lawyers at any stage of investigation (Criminal Procedure Code, art. 149); (iv) The obligatory assistance of a lawyer when an order for pretrial detention is made (Criminal Procedure Code, art. 101(3)); (c) Elements of the constitutional reform package adopted in September 2010 pursuant to a national referendum which provides, inter alia, for: (i) The right of petition as a constitutional right which establishes an Ombudsman institution (Constitution, art. 74); (ii) The right to appeal to the Constitutional Court with regard to fundamental rights and freedoms (Constitution, art. 148); (iii) The guarantee that civilians will not be tried before military courts, except in times of war (Constitution, arts. 145 and 156). 64 GE.11-45568