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CJEU - C 614/14 / Judgment

Criminal Proceedings against Atanas Ognyanov
Policy area
Justice, freedom and security
Deciding body type
Court of Justice of the European Union
Deciding body
Court (Grand Chamber)
Type
Decision
Decision date
05/07/2016
ECLI (European case law identifier)
ECLI:EU:C:2016:514

Eiropas Savienības Pamattiesību harta

Title VI: Justice

Article 47 - Right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial

Title VI: Justice

Article 48 - Presumption of innocence and right of defence

VIEW FULL CASE
  • CJEU - C 614/14 / Judgment

    Key facts of the case:

    Reference for a preliminary ruling — Article 267 TFEU — Article 94 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court — Content of a request for a preliminary ruling — National rule providing that the national court is to be disqualified because it stated a provisional opinion in the request for a preliminary ruling when setting out the factual and legal context — Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union — Second paragraph of Article 47 and Article 48(1)

    Results (sanctions) and key consequences of the case:

    ...the Court (Grand Chamber) hereby rules:

    1. Article 267 TFEU and Article 94 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court, read in the light of the second paragraph of Article 47 and of Article 48(1) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, must be interpreted as precluding a national rule which is interpreted in such a way as to oblige the referring court to disqualify itself from a pending case, on the ground that it set out, in its request for a preliminary ruling, the factual and legal context of that case.
    2. EU law, and in particular Article 267 TFEU, must be interpreted as meaning that it does not require the referring court, after the delivery of the preliminary ruling, to hear the parties again and to undertake further inquiries, which might lead it to alter the findings of fact or law made in the request for a preliminary ruling, nor does it prohibit the referring court from doing so, provided that the referring court gives full effect to the interpretation of EU law adopted by the Court of Justice of the European Union.
    3. EU law must be interpreted as precluding a referring court from applying a national rule, such as that at issue in the main proceedings, which is deemed to be contrary to EU law.
  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter
    1. That being the case, where a referring court, such as the court hearing the main proceedings, presents, in its request for a preliminary ruling, the relevant factual and legal context of the main proceedings, that is a response to the requirement of cooperation that is inherent in the preliminary reference mechanism and cannot, in itself, be a breach of either the right to a fair trial, enshrined in the second paragraph of Article 47 of the Charter, or the right to the presumption of innocence, guaranteed by Article 48(1) of the Charter.
    1. In the light of all the foregoing, the answer to the first question referred is that Article 267 TFEU and Article 94 of the Rules of Procedure, read in the light of the second paragraph of Article 47 and of Article 48(1) of the Charter, must be interpreted as precluding a national rule which is interpreted in such a way as to oblige a referring court to disqualify itself from a pending case, on the ground that it set out, in its request for a preliminary ruling, the factual and legal context of that case.
    1. In that regard, it must be observed at the outset that the assumption that underlies that question, that the national rule at issue in the main proceedings provides an individual with enhanced protection of his right to a fair trial, within the meaning of the second paragraph of Article 47 of the Charter, cannot be accepted. As was stated in paragraph 23 of this judgment, the fact that a national court sets out, in the request for a preliminary ruling, in accordance with what is required by Article 267 TFEU and Article 94 of the Rules of Procedure, the factual and legal context of the main proceedings is not, in itself, a breach of that fundamental right. Consequently, the obligation to disqualify itself, imposed by that rule on a referring court which has, in a reference for a preliminary ruling, acted in that way cannot be considered as serving to enhance the protection of that right.