eu-charter

EU Charter of Fundamental Rights

Article 49 - Principles of legality and proportionality of criminal offences and penalties

Article 49 - Principles of legality and proportionality of criminal offences and penalties

1. No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence under national law or international law at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the criminal offence was committed. If, subsequent to the commission of a criminal offence, the law provides for a lighter penalty, that shall be applicable.
2. This Article shall not prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the general principles recognised by the community of nations.
3. The severity of penalties must not be disproportionate to the criminal offence.

  • Text:

    This Article follows the traditional rule of the non-retroactivity of laws and criminal sanctions. There has been added the rule of the retroactivity of a more lenient penal law, which exists in a number of Member States and which features in Article 15 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

    Article 7 of the ECHR is worded as follows:

    ‘1. No one shall be held guilty of any criminal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a criminal offence under national or international law at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the criminal offence was committed.
    2. This Article shall not prejudice the trial and punishment of any person for any act or omission which, at the time when it was committed, was criminal according to the general principles of law recognised by civilised nations.’

    In paragraph 2, the reference to ‘civilised’ nations has been deleted; this does not change the meaning of this paragraph, which refers to crimes against humanity in particular. In accordance with Article 52(3), the right guaranteed here therefore has the same meaning and scope as the right guaranteed by the ECHR.

    Paragraph 3 states the general principle of proportionality between penalties and criminal offences which is enshrined in the common constitutional traditions of the Member States and in the case-law of the Court of Justice of the Communities.

    Source:
    Official Journal of the European Union C 303/17 - 14.12.2007
    Preamble - Explanations relating to the Charter of Fundamental Rights:
    These explanations were originally prepared under the authority of the Praesidium of the Convention which drafted the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Although they do not as such have the status of law, they are a valuable tool of interpretation intended to clarify the provisions of the Charter.
  • Hungary v European Parliament and Council of the European Union
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Full Court)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Institutional affairs
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2022:97
  • Republic of Poland v European Parliament and Council of the European Union
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Full Court)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Internal market
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2022:98
  • MT v Landespolizeidirektion Steiermark
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Second Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Justice, freedom and security
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:845
  • Criminal proceedings against A
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Fifth Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Free movement and equality
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:813
  • „ЕCOTEX BULGARIA“ LTD v Teritorialna direktsia na Natsionalnata agentsia za prihodite
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (First Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Free movement and equality
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:803
  • Criminal proceedings against FO
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Fifth Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Justice, freedom and security
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:715
  • Mr. José Ángel v. Central Electoral Board
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    National Court/Tribunal
    Deciding body:
    Supreme Court, Contentious Chamber
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:ES:TS:2021:3092
  • László Németh
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    National Court/Tribunal
    Deciding body:
    Constitutional Court
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
  • H. Lundbeck A/S and Lundbeck Ltd v European Commission
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Fourth Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Competition
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:243
  • Prefettura Ufficio territoriale del governo di Firenze v MI and TB
    Decision date:
    Deciding body type:
    Court of Justice of the European Union
    Deciding body:
    Court (Tenth Chamber)
    Type:
    Decision
    Policy area:
    Transport
    ECLI (European case law identifier):
    ECLI:EU:C:2021:233

52 results found

  • Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
    Country:
    Poland

    Art. 42.1. Odpowiedzialności karnej podlega ten tylko, kto dopuścił się czynu zabronionego pod groźbą kary przez ustawę obowiązującą w czasie jego popełnienia. Zasada ta nie stoi na przeszkodzie ukaraniu za czyn, który w czasie jego popełnienia stanowił przestępstwo w myśl prawa międzynarodowego.

  • Constitution of Malta
    Country:
    Malta

    Article 39(…) (8) No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offence on account of any act or omission that did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offence, and no penalty shall be imposed for any criminal offence which is severer in degree ordescription than the maximum penalty which might have been imposed for that offence at the time when it was committed. (…)

  • Constitution du Grand Duche de Luxembourg
    Country:
    Luxembourg

    Article 14. Nulle peine ne peut être établie ni appliquée qu’en vertu de la loi.

  • Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
    Country:
    Luxembourg

    Article 14. No penalty may be established or applied except by virtue of the law.

  • Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania
    Country:
    Lithuania

    Article 31. A person shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to the procedure established by law and declared guilty by an effective court judgment. A person charged with committing a crime shall have the right to a public and fair hearing of his case by an independent and impartial court. It shall be prohibited to compel anyone to give evidence against himself, or his family members or close relatives. Punishment may be imposed or applied only on the grounds established by law. No one may be punished twice for the same offence. A person suspected of committing a crime, as well as the accused, shall be guaranteed, from the moment of his apprehension or first interrogation, the right to defence, as well as the right to an advocate.

  • Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucija
    Country:
    Lithuania

    31 straipsnis. Asmuo laikomas nekaltu, kol jo kaltumas neįrodytas įstatymo nustatyta tvarka ir pripažintas įsiteisėjusiu teismo nuosprendžiu. Asmuo, kaltinamas padaręs nusikaltimą, turi teisę, kad jo bylą viešai ir teisingai išnagrinėtų nepriklausomas ir bešališkas teismas. Draudžiama versti duoti parodymus prieš save, savo šeimos narius ar artimus giminaičius. Bausmė gali būti skiriama ar taikoma tik remiantis įstatymu. Niekas negali būti baudžiamas už tą patį nusikaltimą antrą kartą. Asmeniui, kuris įtariamas padaręs nusikaltimą, ir kaltinamajam nuo jų sulaikymo arba pirmosios apklausos momento garantuojama teisė į gynybą, taip pat ir teisė turėti advokatą.

  • Constitution of the Italian Republic
    Country:
    Italy

    Art. 24. Anyone may bring cases before a court of law in order to protect their rights under civil and administrative law. Defense is an inviolable right at every stage and instance of legal proceedings. The poor are entitled by law to proper means for action or defense in all courts. The law shall define the conditions and forms of reparation in case of judicial errors. Art. 25. No case may be removed from the court seized with it as established by law. No punishment may be inflicted except by virtue of a law in force at the time tehe offence was committed. No restriction may be placed on a person's liberty save for as provided by law. Art. 27. Criminal responsibility is personal.
    A defendant shall be considered not guilty until a final sentence has been passed. Punishments may not be inhuman and shall aim at re-educating the convicted.
    Death penalty is prohibited.

  • Costituzione della Repubblica Italiana
    Country:
    Italy

    Art. 24. Tutti possono agire in giudizio per la tutela dei propri diritti e interessi legittimi. La difesa è diritto inviolabile in ogni stato e grado del procedimento.Sono assicurati ai non abbienti, con appositi istituti, i mezzi per agire e difendersi davanti ad ogni giurisdizione.La legge determina le condizioni e i modi per la riparazione degli errori giudiziari. Art. 25. Nessuno può essere distolto dal giudice naturale precostituito per legge.Nessuno può essere punito se non in forza di una legge che sia entrata in vigore prima del fatto commesso.Nessuno può essere sottoposto a misure di sicurezza se non nei casi previsti dalla legge. Art. 27. La responsabilità penale è personale.L'imputato non è considerato colpevole sino alla condanna definitiva.Le pene non possono consistere in trattamenti contrari al senso di umanità e devono tendere alla rieducazione del condannato.Non è ammessa la pena di morte.

  • A Magyar Köztársaság Alkotmánya
    Country:
    Hungary

    57 §(…) (4) Senkit nem lehet bűnösnek nyilvánítani és büntetéssel sújtani olyan cselekmény miatt, amely az elkövetés idején a magyar jog vagy - a határozatok kölcsönös elismerése elvének érvényesülése céljából az Európai Unió jogi aktusai által meghatározott körben, az alapvető jogok lényeges tartalmát nem korlátozva - a szabadságon, a biztonságon és a jog érvényesülésén alapuló térség létrehozásában közreműködő más állam joga szerint nem volt bűncselekmény.

  • Constitution of the Republic of Hungary
    Country:
    Hungary

    Article 57(…) (4) No one shall be declared guilty and subjected to punishment for an offense that was not a criminal offense under Hungarian law at the time such offense was committed. (…)

  • Magyarország Alaptörvénye
    Country:
    Hungary

    III. cikk (SZABADSÁG ÉS FELELŐSSÉG) (1) Senkit nem lehet kínzásnak, embertelen, megalázó bánásmódnak vagy büntetésnek alávetni, valamint szolgaságban tartani. […]

    IV. cikk (SZABADSÁG ÉS FELELŐSSÉG) […] (2) Senkit nem lehet szabadságától másként, mint törvényben meghatározott okokból és törvényben meghatározott eljárás alapján megfosztani. Tényleges életfogytig tartó szabadságvesztés csak szándékos, erőszakos bűncselekmény elkövetése miatt szabható ki.

    XXVIII. cikk (SZABADSÁG ÉS FELELŐSSÉG) […] (4) Senki nem nyilvánítható bűnösnek, és nem sújtható büntetéssel olyan cselekmény miatt, amely az elkövetés idején a magyar jog vagy – nemzetközi szerződés, illetve az Európai Unió jogi aktusa által meghatározott körben – más állam joga szerint nem volt bűncselekmény.
    (5) A (4) bekezdés nem zárja ki valamely személy büntetőeljárás alá vonását és elítélését olyan cselekményért, amely elkövetése idején a nemzetközi jog általánosan elismert szabályai szerint bűncselekmény volt. [...]

  • The Fundamental Law of Hungary
    Country:
    Hungary

    Article III (Freedom and Responsibility) (1) No one shall be subject to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, or held in servitude. […]

    Article IV (Freedom and Responsibility) […] (2) No one shall be deprived of liberty except for reasons specified in an Act and in accordance with the procedure laid down in an Act. Life imprisonment without parole may only be imposed for the commission of intentional and violent criminal offences.

    Article XXVIII (Freedom and Responsibility) […] (4) No one shall be held guilty of or be punished for an act which, at the time when it was committed, did not constitute a criminal offence under Hungarian law or, within the scope specified in an international treaty or a legal act of the European Union, under the law of another State.
    (5) Paragraph (4) shall not prejudice the prosecution and conviction of any person for any act which, at the time when it was committed, was a criminal offence according to the generally recognised rules of international law.

  • Constitution of the Hellenic Republic
    Country:
    Greece

    Article 5 (3). Personal liberty is inviolable. No one shall be prosecuted, arrested, imprisoned or otherwise confined except when and as the law provides [...] Article 7 (1). There shall be no crime, nor shall punishment be inflicted unless specified by law in force prior to the perpetration of the act, defining the constitutive elements of the act. In no case shall punishment more severe than that specified at the time of the perpetration of the act be inflicted. [...]

  • Το Σύνταγμα της Ελλάδας
    Country:
    Greece

    Άρθρο 5 (3).H πρoσωπική ελευθερία είναι απαραβίαστη. Kανένας δεν καταδιώκεται oύτε συλλαμβάνεται oύτε φυλακίζεται oύτε με oπoιoνδήπoτε άλλo τρόπo περιoρίζεται, παρά μόνo όταν και όπως oρίζει o νόμoς. [...] Άρθρο 7 (1).Έγκλημα δεν υπάρχει ούτε ποινή επιβάλλεται χωρίς νόμο που να ισχύει πριν από την τέλεση της πράξης και να ορίζει τα στοιχεία της. Ποτέ δεν επιβάλλεται ποινή βαρύτερη από εκείνη που προβλεπόταν κατά την τέλεση της πράξης. [...]

  • Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
    Country:
    Germany

    Article 103 (...) (2) An act may be punished only if it was defined by a law as a criminal offence before the act was committed. (...)

  • Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland
    Country:
    Germany

    Artikel 103 (...) (2) Eine Tat kann nur bestraft werden, wenn die Strafbarkeit gesetzlich bestimmt war, bevor die Tat begangen wurde. (...)

  • Declaration des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen du 26 août 1789
    Country:
    France

    Article 8La loi ne doit établir que des peines strictement et évidemment nécessaires, et nul ne peut être puni qu’en vertu d’une loi établie et promulguée antérieurement au délit, et légalement appliquée.

  • Constitution of Finland
    Country:
    Finland

    Section 8 The principle of legality in criminal cases No one shall be found guilty of a criminal offence or be sentenced to a punishment on the basis of a deed, which has not been determined punishable by an Act at the time of its commission. The penalty imposed for an offence shall not be more severe than that provided by an Act at the time of commission of the offence.

  • Suomen perustuslaki
    Country:
    Finland

    8 § Rikosoikeudellinen laillisuusperiaate Ketään ei saa pitää syyllisenä rikokseen eikä tuomita rangaistukseen sellaisen teon perusteella, jota ei tekohetkellä ole laissa säädetty rangaistavaksi. Rikoksesta ei saa tuomita ankarampaa rangaistusta kuin tekohetkellä on laissa säädetty.

  • Constitution of the Republic of Estonia
    Country:
    Estonia

    Article 23. No one may be convicted of an act which did not constitute a criminal offence under the law in force at the time the act was committed.
    No one may be sentenced to a penalty that is more severe than the one that was applicable at the time the offence was committed. If, subsequent to the commission of the offence, the law makes provision for a lighter penalty, the lighter penalty applies.
    No one may be prosecuted or sentenced for a second time for an act in respect of which he or she has been the subject of a final conviction or acquittal pursuant to the law.
    Article 24. No one may be transferred, against his or her free will, from the jurisdiction of a court specified by law to the jurisdiction of another court.
    Everyone is entitled to attend any hearing held by a court in his or her case.
    Court hearings are public. The court may, in the cases and pursuant to a procedure provided by law, order a hearing or a part thereof to be held in camera to protect a state secret or a trade secret, public morality or the private and family life of individuals, or where the interests of a minor, a victim, or the administration of justice so require.
    Judgments are pronounced publicly, except in cases where the interests of a minor, a spouse, or a victim require otherwise.
    In accordance with the procedure provided by law, everyone is entitled to appeal a judgment rendered in his or her case to a higher court.

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