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TC_19961122 AI generated

Portuguese Constitutional Court declares social security debt exemption clause unconstitutional due to excessive protection. Verdict: allowed.

Case Number TC_19961122
Court / Authority
Jurisdiction Portugal (PT)
Outcome Allowed / Granted
Open official source Machine-readable Markdown (.md)

Legislator summary

AI generated

The Constitutional Court declared Article 45(1) of Law 28/84 unconstitutional for exempting social security institutions from seizure beyond a dignified survival minimum. The Ministry of Public Prosecution challenged the exemption, arguing it violated property rights, while the institutions defended the clause as necessary for social protection. The court ruled that the exemption exceeded constitutional limits by failing to balance creditor rights with the debtor's basic needs.

Legislator headnote

AI generated

Article 13 of the Constitution; Article 13 of the Constitution: The exemption of social security debts from seizure must not exceed the minimum necessary for a dignified survival, as excessive protection violates the principle of proportionality and the right to property.

Keywords

AI generated
Constitutional exemption Social security debts Seizure protection Dignified survival Proportionality principle Property rights Constitutional review

Cited Legislation

AI generated
Article 13 of the Constitution

Cited Case Law

AI generated
Acórdão nº 349/91
Acórdão nº 411/93
Acórdão nº 130/95
AI generated
TC_19961200
Portuguese Constitutional Court declares Social Security law clause unconstitutional for exempting excessive pension portions from seizure.
570/2022
Portuguese Constitutional Court declares specific administrative court jurisdiction rules unconstitutional for violating separation of powers.
448/25.8BELRA
Court dismisses execution claim due to lifted seizure but allows cost reversal for unknown supervening impossibility.
1455/2017
Constitutional court declares notification presumption in small claims procedure unconstitutional due to lack of personal knowledge guarantee.
85/95
Portuguese Constitutional Court dismisses MP's challenge to tax code seizure rule as already declared unconstitutional.

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Full text

Acórdão 1122/96

ACÓRDÃO Nº 1122/96

Proc. nº 717/95

1ª Secção

Cons. Rel.: Assunção Esteves

Acordam no Tribunal Constitucional:

Neste processo, vindo do Tribunal da Relação do Porto, em que é recorrente o Ministério Público e são recorridos U..., S.A. e A ..., decide-se, pelos fundamentos dos acórdãos nºs. 349/91, 411/93 e 130/95 [D.R., II Série, de 2-12-1991, de 19-1-1994 e de 24-4-1995]:

a) - Julgar inconstitucional a norma do artigo 45º, nº 1, da Lei nº 28/84, de 14 de Agosto, na medida em que isenta de penhora a parte das prestações devidas pelas instituições de segurança social que excede o mínimo adequado e necessário a uma sobrevivência condigna;

b) - E, em consequência, negar provimento ao recurso e confirmar a decisão recorrida.

Lisboa, 5 de Novembro de 1996

Maria da Assunção Esteves

Maria Fernanda palma

Vítor Nunes de Almeida

Armindo Ribeiro Mendes

Alberto Tavares da Costa

Antero Alves Monteiro Diniz

José Manuel Cardoso da Costa