THE CONCEPT OF CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR THE APPLICATION OF NE BIS IN IDEM IN EUROPE

Dissertação de Mestrado em Direito apresentada à Faculdade de DireitoA importância do ne bis in idem é reconhecida na grande maioria dos sistemas jurídicos dos países da Europa no âmbito do procedimento criminal. Todavia, o cenário ganha contornos diferentes quando surge a possibilidade de aplicação do ne bis in idem na cumulação de sanções administrativas e penais. A problemática surge no momento em que, muitas vezes, a Administração Pública aplica sobretaxas as coimas, que ultrapassam o mero valor compensatório sobre determinada infração. A compreensão mais global do trabalho exigia uma análise dos sistemas jurídicos da Europa como também da União Europeia. Sendo assim, analisamos os principais documentos que positivam o ne bis in idem a nível europeu, quais sejam a Convenção Europeia dos Direitos do Homem, o Acordo e Convenção Schengen e, por último, a Carta de Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia, bem como os Tribunais responsáveis pela verificação do cumprimento dos direitos fundamentais, quais sejam, o TEDH e o TJUE. Logo, a fim de que não houvesse uma vinculação formal por parte dos sistemas jurídicos nacionais no que diz respeito à limitação do ne bis in idem a procedimento criminais, a necessidade de formulação de um conceito autônomo se tornou evidente. Diante desse contexto, analisamos dois Acórdãos que representam uma ruptura de um precedente bem estabelecido durante anos, bem como se a adesão da União Europeia à Convenção Europeia dos Direitos do Homem conseguiria sanar o problema de divergência interpretativa entre o TJUE e o TEDH.The importance of ne bis in idem is recognized in the vast majority of legal systems in the countries of Europe in criminal proceedings. However, the scenario takes different forms when the possibility of applying ne bis in idem arises in the aggregation of administrative and criminal sanctions. The problem arises at a time when, often, the Public Administration imposes surcharges on fines, which exceed the mere compensatory amount for a given infraction. A more comprehensive understanding of the work required an analysis of the legal systems of Europe as well as of the European Union. In this way, we will analyze the main documents that confirm the ne bis in idem at European level, namely the European Convention on Human Rights, the Schengen Agreement and Convention, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as the Courts responsible for verifying compliance with fundamental rights, namely the ECtHR and the CJEU. Thus, in order to ensure that there was no formal linkage by national legal systems regarding the limitation of the ne bis in idem to criminal procedure, the need to formulate an autonomous concept became evident. Against this background, we look at two judgments which represent a break from a well-established precedent over the years and whether the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights would be able to remedy the problem of interpretative divergence between the ECJ and the ECtHR. The importance of ne bis in idem is recognized in the vast majority of legal systems in the countries of Europe in criminal proceedings. However, the scenario takes different forms when the possibility of applying ne bis in idem arises in the aggregation of administrative and criminal sanctions. The problem arises at a time when, often, the Public Administration imposes surcharges on fines, which exceed the mere compensatory amount for a given infraction. A more comprehensive understanding of the work required an analysis of the legal systems of Europe as well as of the European Union. In this way, we will analyze the main documents that confirm the ne bis in idem at European level, namely the European Convention on Human Rights, the Schengen Agreement and Convention, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, as well as the Courts responsible for verifying compliance with fundamental rights, namely the ECtHR and the CJEU. Thus, in order to ensure that there was no formal linkage by national legal systems regarding the limitation of the ne bis in idem to criminal procedure, the need to formulate an autonomous concept became evident. Against this background, we look at two judgments which represent a break from a well-established precedent over the years and whether the accession of the European Union to the European Convention on Human Rights would be able to remedy the problem of interpretative divergence between the ECJ and the ECtHR