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TC_19990081 AI generated

Constitutional court denies appeal confirming fine limits must apply the law valid at the time of the offense.

Case Number TC_19990081
Court / Authority
Jurisdiction Portugal (PT)
Outcome Dismissed
Open official source Machine-readable Markdown (.md)

Legislator summary

AI generated

The Constitutional Court rejected the Public Prosecutor's appeal against a lower court's refusal to apply Article 27 of the Decree-Law regarding fine limits. The core issue was whether the maximum fine should be calculated based on the law in force at the time of the offense or the current law. The court ruled that the principle of non-retroactivity requires applying the legal framework valid when the violation occurred, thereby upholding the lower court's decision.

Legislator headnote

AI generated

Art. 27 of Decree-Law no. 30/89; The principle of non-retroactivity mandates that the maximum fine limit applicable to an offense is determined by the law in force at the time the offense was committed.

Keywords

AI generated
principle of non-retroactivity temporal validity of law maximum fine limits constitutional fiscalization legal certainty procedural history public prosecutor appeal

Cited Legislation

AI generated
Art. 27 of Decree-Law no. 30/89
Acórdão n.º 175/97 of the Constitutional Court

Cited Case Law

AI generated
Acórdão n.º 175/97 of the Constitutional Court
AI generated
731/92
Portuguese Constitutional Court declares fine limit for individuals unconstitutional due to violation of proportionality principle.
TC_19950301
Constitutional court declares Article 25 of Decree-Law 411/91 unconstitutional for violating the right to a fair trial.
417/97
Portuguese Constitutional Court dismisses appeal confirming prior ruling declaring fine limits unconstitutional.
TC_19950620
Portuguese Constitutional Court declares fine limits unconstitutional for violating property rights and due process guarantees.
529/93
Portuguese Constitutional Court strikes down fine cap exceeding general regime for individuals under administrative law.

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Full text

Acórdão 81/99

ACÓRDÃO N.º 81/99

Procº nº 123/98

1ª Secção

Consº VÍTOR NUNES

DE ALMEIDA

Acordam no Tribunal Constitucional:

RECORRENTE: MINISTÉRIO PÚBLICO;

RECORRIDO: J...

Nos presentes autos de fiscalização concreta de constitucionalidade, em que o Ministério Público recorre do acórdão do Tribunal da Relação de Lisboa que recusou a aplicação do artigo 27º do Decreto-Lei nº 30/89, de 24 de Janeiro, em aplicação do Acórdão deste Tribunal nº 175/97, publicado no Diário da República, Iª Série-A, de 24 de Abril de 1997, que declarou a inconstitucionalidade com força obrigatória geral do referido artigo 27º, na parte em que fixa o limite máximo da coima por ele definida em montante superior ao limite máximo estabelecido na respectiva lei-quadro, na versão vigente à data da prática da correspondente infracção, e fixa o seu limite mínimo em montante igual ao limite máximo fixado na referida lei quadro, o Tribunal Constitucional decide negar provimento ao presente recurso e, em consequência, confirmar a decisão recorrida na parte impugnada.

Lisboa, 9 de Fevereiro de 1999

Vítor Nunes de Almeida

Maria Helena Brito

Artur Maurício

Luís Nunes de Almeida