The topic of this dissertation is the originally Anglo-Saxon criminal process concept of plea bargaining, which has become a phenomenon within a number of civil law countries in recent decades. This alternative method of resolving criminal cases consists simply in the pos- sibility of an agreement being reached between the prosecutor and the accused, provided that the accused, under certain conditions, admits to having committed the offence and agrees with the proposed punishment. A look at the foreign as well as domestic legal literature reveals that plea bargaining is controversial to say the least. Proponents argue that it accelerates and simplifies criminal pro- ceedings, while opponents point to its flagrant inconsistency with the fund...