No decriminalization where new damage threshold raises "particularly serious consequences" bar under new Criminal Code.
Romania (RO)
Legislator summary
AI generatedThe High Court of Cassation and Justice admitted the referral from the Brașov Court of Appeal and ruled, in a preliminary ruling for the resolution of a question of law, that where a fraud offense committed under the 1969 Criminal Code caused damage below the 2,000,000 lei threshold, the modification of the notion of "particularly serious consequences" in the new Criminal Code does not trigger the effects of Article 4 of the Criminal Code (decriminalization) or Article 3(1) of Law No. 187/2012, and thus does not lead to partial decriminalization of the aggravated form of fraud. The Court answered the referred question by establishing that there is no decriminalization in such cases, meaning the offense remains punishable under the prior law. The decision is binding from its publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, pursuant to Article 477(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The dispute concerned the interpretation of whether changes to typicality requirements (the threshold for "particularly serious consequences") constitute a partial decriminalization affecting the application of the more favorable criminal law over time. The decisive legal basis involved the principle of decriminalization under Article 4 of the Criminal Code and the transitional provisions of Law No. 187/2012, with the Court holding that the mere modification of the damage threshold does not amount to decriminalization where the conduct remains criminalized under the new law, albeit with a higher threshold for the aggravated form.
Legislator headnote
AI generatedart. 3 alin. (1) din Legea nr. 187/2012, art. 4 din Codul penal, art. 477 alin. (3) din Codul de procedură penală; No decriminalization where new damage threshold raises "particularly serious consequences" bar under new Criminal Code: 187/2012, and thus does not lead to partial decriminalization of the aggravated form of fraud. The Court answered the referred question by establishing that there is no decriminalization in such cases, meaning the offense remains punishable under the prior law. The decision is binding from its publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, pursuant to Article 477(3) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The dispute concerned the interpretation of whether changes to typicality requirements (the threshold for "particularly serious consequences") constitute a partial decriminalization affecting the application of the more favorable criminal law over time. The decisive legal basis involved the principle of decriminalization under Article 4 of the Criminal Code and the transitional provisions of Law No. 187/2012, with the Court holding that the mere modification of the damage threshold does not amount to decriminalization where the conduct remains criminalized under the new law, albeit with a higher threshold for the aggravated form.
Keywords
AI generatedCited Legislation
AI generatedRelated Decisions
AI generatedKey legal questions extracted by Legislator
AI generatedReference to art. 4 of the Criminal Code, whose effects the court ruled are not produced by the modification of the notion of 'consecințe deosebit de grave' in the case of the fraud offense.
Reference to Art. 3(1) of Law no. 187/2012, whose effects (decalaj/ dezincriminare) the court ruled are not produced in this case.
Procedural basis for the binding effect of the decision from the date of publication in the Official Journal.
Full text
R O M Â N I A
ÎNALTA CURTE DE CASAŢIE ŞI JUSTIŢIE
COMPLETUL PENTRU DEZLEGAREA UNOR CHESTIUNI DE DREPT ÎN MATERIE PENALĂ
Minuta deciziei nr.30 Dosar nr. 3515/1/2015
Şedinţa publică din 19 noiembrie 2015
ÎN NUMELE LEGII
D E C I D E:
Admite sesizarea formulată de către Curtea de Apel Braşov, Secţia penală, prin încheierea din data de 16 septembrie 2015, pronunţată în dosarul nr. 121/62/2014 prin care se solicită pronunţarea unei hotărâri prealabile pentru dezlegarea de principiu a următoarei probleme de drept „dacă în situaţia unei infracţiuni de înşelăciune (dar şi a altor infracţiuni, de pildă, furtul calificat), comise sub imperiul legii anterioare, prin modificarea conţinutului noţiunii de „consecinţe deosebit de grave” şi existenţa unui prejudiciu sub pragul de 2.000.000 lei are loc o dezincriminare parţială (a formei agravate), prin modificarea cerinţelor de tipicitate ca trăsătură esenţială a infracţiunii”.
Stabileşte că în situaţia unei infracţiuni de înşelăciune, comise sub imperiul Codului penal din 1969 care a produs un prejudiciu sub pragul de 2.000.000 lei, modificarea noţiunii de consecinţe deosebit de grave în Codul penal nu produce efectele prevăzute de art. 4 din Codul penal şi nici cele prevăzute de art. 3 alin. (1) din Legea nr. 187/2012 pentru punerea în aplicare a Legii nr. 286/2009 privind Codului penal şi nu conduce la dezincriminarea infracţiunii de înşelăciune.
Obligatorie de la data publicării în Monitorul Oficial al României, Partea I, potrivit art. 477 alin. (3) din Codul de procedură penală.
Pronunţată, în şedinţă publică, astăzi, 19 noiembrie 2015.