The Constitutional Court of Romania | Curtii Constitutionale a Romaniei

Authorization of enforcement proceedings in light of the new decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania

Authorization of enforcement proceedings in light of the new decision of the Constitutional Court of Romania dated 18 December 2015

In the meeting held on 18 December 2015, CCR ruled that the provisions of Article 666 of the Code of civil procedure regarding the authorization of enforcement proceedings by bailiffs are unconstitutional, holding that the enforcement proceedings are no longer subject to judicial review, and that the requirement to ensure the right to an equitable lawsuit, insofar as the authority’s impartiality and independence are concerned, is no longer met.    

The Court headed by Mr. Augustin Zegrean held that the provisions of Article 666 of the Code of civil procedure breach the constitutional provisions of Article 1 (4), to the effect that specific court activities are exercised by bailiffs. These provisions also infringe Article 21 (3) and Article 24, to the effect that the initiation of the enforcement proceedings is no longer subject to judicial review. In the opinion of the Court, on the one hand, the requirement to ensure the right to an equitable lawsuit, insofar as the authority’s impartiality and independence are concerned, is no longer met, and, on the other hand, the application of justice is ‘delegated’ to the bailiff.

Therefore, the original provisions of Article 373 and Article 3731 of the Former Code of Civil Procedure shall come into force again, under which the request for authorization of enforcement proceedings, accompanied by an enforceable title, shall be filed with the bailiff, and the bailiff, within maximum 5 days after the application has been filed, shall request the Court to authorize the enforcement proceedings.  

The Court shall authorize the enforcement of the obligation set out in an enforceable title by a writ of execution issued in closed session without summoning the parties.

Pursuant to the decision upholding the request for authorization of enforcement proceedings, the bailiff shall proceed to the enforcement of the obligation set out in the enforceable title in any of the means provided for by the law.

The decision of the CCR of 18 December 2015 is mandatory and shall come into force upon its publication in the Official Journal. This decision shall not be applied retrospectively, but any enforcement proceedings authorized by bailiffs during this short period until publication may be challenged, the prerequisites for the court to cancel such enforcement proceedings being met. 

During the forthcoming period, the manner in which the former provisions of the civil procedure code shall be harmonized with the new provisions, in light of the latest decision of CCR, should be monitored, most likely to become effective by means of an emergency ordinance.  

 

Incuviintarea executarii silite prin prisma noii decizii a Curtii Constitutionale a Romaniei

Incuviintarea executarii silite prin prisma noii decizii a Curtii Constitutionale a Romaniei din 18 decembrie 2015

In sedinta din 18 decembrie 2015, CCR a declarat neconstitutionale prevederile articolului 666 din Codul de procedura civila privind incuviintarea executarii silite de catre executorul judecatoresc, stabilind ca procedura de executare silita este sustrasa controlului judecatoresc si ca nu sunt respectate exigentele dreptului la un proces echitabil, sub aspectul impartialitatii si independentei autoritatii.

 Curtea condusa de Augustin Zegrean a decis ca dispozitiile art. 666 din Codul de procedura civila contravin prevederilor constitutionale ale art.1 alin.(4), prin prisma exercitarii de catre executorii judecatoresti a unei activitati specifice instantelor judecatoresti. De asemenea, dispozitiile contravin si art.21 alin.(3) si art.124, prin prisma faptului ca declansarea procedurii executarii silite este sustrasa controlului judecatoresc. In opinia Curtii, pe de o parte, exigentele dreptului la un proces echitabil, sub aspectul impartialitatii si independentei autoritatii, nu sunt respectate, iar, pe de alta parte, infaptuirea justitiei este ‘delegata’ executorului judecatoresc.

Astfel, in momentul de fata reintra in vigoare vechile dispozitiile ale art. 373 si 3731 din Vechiul Cod de Procedura Civila conform carora cererea de executare silita, insotita de titlul executoriu, se va depune la executorul judecatoresc iar acesta, in termen de cel 5 zile de la inregistrarea cererii, va solicita instantei de executare incuviintarea executarii silite.

Instanta de executare va incuviinta executarea silita a obligatiei stabilite prin titlul executoriu printr-o singura incheiere data in camera de consiliu fara citarea partilor.

In temeiul incheierii prin care se admite cererea de incuviintare a executarii silite, executorul judecatoresc poate proceda la executarea silita a obligatiei stabilite prin titlul executoriu in oricare din formele prevazute de lege.

Decizia CCR din 18 decembrie 2015 este obligatorie și va intra  în vigoare în momentul publicării în Monitorul Oficial.Aceasta nu se aplică retroactiv, dar orice executare silită acceptată de executorii judecătorești în acest scurt interval de timp de până la publicare ar putea fi contestata existand premisele anularii acesteia de catre instanta de judecata.

De urmarit in perioada de timp urmatoare modul in care se vor armoniza vechile dispozitii ale codului de procedura civila cu noile sale dispozitii, avand in vedere recenta decizie a CCR, cel mai probabil aceasta realizandu-se prin intermediul unei ordonante de urgenta.