This diploma thesis focuses on the topic of the principles applied during proceedings regarding offences, mainly the principle of non bis in idem, which this thesis focuses on. The non bis in idem principle means that a matter cannot be judged twice, because it is generally accepted that two punishments for the same crime are unfair. This principle is applied in proceedings on criminal charges and because the concept of criminal charges is autonomous according to the European Court for Human rights, i.e. it has specific objective content, I chiefly discussed interpretation of this concept. According to the European Court for Human Rights, in order for the issue to be criminal charges within the meaning of Article 4(1) of the Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, the charges must fulfil the so-called Engel criteria, which I have endeavoured to explain to the reader. These criteria were created by the European Court for Human Rights in the case of Engel and Others v. the Netherlands (1976), whereas these criteria were developed before the same court in the case of Bendenoun v. France (1994). These criteria are decisive in regard to whether the issue is criminal charges and whether the guarantees offered by the European Convention on Human Rights must be applied during the proceedings,...

Tax crimes Abstract This thesis deals with the topic of tax crimes. Its goal is to analyze the current legislation regarding tax offences in the Czech Republic, that is both from a general perspective and from the perspective of specific types of tax crimes, and identify the weaknesses of the legislation. These weaknesses were found mostly in the rigid reaction of the legislator to legislative changes in the law, which causes these changes not to be reflected in the penal code. Some sections are dedicated to general topics about taxes and tax offences, such as the reporting of tax crimes and their preparation and attempt. Furthermore, sections of the penal code were interpreted with a focus on parts that might pose a problem during interpretation. Such problems are for example the extent of a committed tax fraud, the recent extension of the crime in Section 227 of the penal code to include duties during tax governance or the examination of the connections that the penal code has to tax legislation. The following part compared the Czech legislation regarding tax crimes to those in Slovakia and in Austria. Then it focuses on the examination of current problems in the field of tax crimes, mainly the principle of ne bis in idem, the principle of nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare and the problem connected to...

Sammanfattning Uppsatsen behandlar EU-stadgans tillämplighet på det svenska dubbelförfarandet, påförande av skattetillägg och utdömande av straffrättsliga påföljder vid oriktig uppgift. Framställningen baseras på gällande lagtext vid 1 december 2011, men hänsyn har även tagits till lagförslaget avseende den nya skatteförfarandelagen, SFL, som avses träda i kraft den 1 januari 2012.  Besvarandet av syftet sker ur ett svenskt perspektiv med beaktande av rättssäkerheten för den enskilde. Det klargörs att EU-stadgans ställning innebär att den skall ha företräde framför motstridig nationell rätt. Vidare kan kravet på klart stöd som HD har uppställt för att underkänna det svenska dubbelförfarandet med stöd av Europakonventionen, inte upprätthållas vid EU-stadgans tillämpning. Ett sådant krav skulle strida mot rättssäkerhetskravet på en bestämd rättskällehierarki, och därmed inte tillförsäkra den enskildes rättssäkerhet. Kravet på likabehandling vid rättstillämpningen för att tillförsäkra den enskildes rättssäkerhet innebär dock inte att det föreligger ett krav på EU-stadgans tillämpning i alla mål avseende det svenska dubbelförfarandet vid oriktig uppgift. Detta eftersom det inte finns anledning att anta att HD eller HFD gör en annan bedömning än den HD nyligen har gjort i NJA 2011 s. 444, trots de konkreta unionsrättsliga anknytningarna i målet. Slutligen klargör uppsatsen även att det emellertid finns skäl att anta att EU-domstolen skulle kunna komma att göra en annan bedömning än HD. Mot bakgrund av EU-domstolens uttalande i praxis om medlemstaternas skyldighet att även inom området för direkt beskattning iaktta unionsrätten vid utförande av olika sanktioner, samt medlemsstaternas lojalitetsplikt, anförs det att artikel 50 i EU-stadgan därför bör tillämpas på det svenska dubbelförfarandet vid oriktig uppgift. Likväl föreligger det inget krav på EU-stadgans tillämpning på det svenska dubbelförandet, med hänsyn till den enskildes rättsäkerhet, ur ett svenskt perspektiv. / Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to clarify the EU Charter’s applicability on the Swedish double parallel system regarding tax crime and tax surcharge, from a Swedish viewpoint, with consideration for the individual’s requirement for legal certainty. The thesis is based on current law as of the 1st of December 2011, however due account is taken to the new law proposal for the Swedish Tax Assessment/Payment Act, which is expected to be in force on the 1st of January 2012. Also, the thesis clarifies the EU Charter’s supremacy over national law. Furthermore, it is shown that the Swedish Supreme Court’s (HD) requirement for “clear support” in the European Convention to bypass national Swedish law cannot be upheld in respect to the EU Charter, as this would conflict with the requirement for a set legal hierarchy to fulfill the individual’s adequate legal certainty. The Swedish Supreme Court has found that the EU Charter can not be applied to the Swedish double punishment system, regardless of concrete facts in the case being related to EU-law. However, the condition of equal treatment with regards to legal certainty does not result in an absolute requirement for the EU Charter’s applicability on the Swedish system, as there is no evidence that the Swedish Supreme Court will change its assessment of the matter at hand. Nevertheless, it is argued that there is ample reason to believe that the Court of Justice would make a different assessment of the issue, considering the Court’s previous statements with respect to the member states responsibility to regard EU Law even within the field of direct taxation. Therefore, the thesis concludes that although there can be no absolute requirement to apply the EU Charter to the Swedish system, with regards to legal certainty, the EU Charter should nonetheless be applicable.

Syftet med min uppsats är, dels att utreda vilka huvudsakliga konsekvenser som 2013 års praxis angående ”Ne bis in idem” föranlett för den svenska skatteprocessen, dels att analysera vilka resningsmöjligheter som föreligger för enskilda som drabbats av Sveriges konventions­överträdelser. Ett ytterligare syfte med uppsatsen är att analysera huruvida lagförslagen i SOU 2013:62 uppfyller grund­läggande rättssäkerhetskrav samt att föreslå ändringar till nyss nämnda lagförslag. Innan år 2013 bedömde Högsta domstolen att systemet med dubbla sanktioner inom ramen för skilda förfaranden var förenligt med principen ”Ne bis in idem”, eftersom det saknades ”klart stöd” för att underkänna hela det svenska systemet. I NJA 2013 s. 502 fann Högsta domstolen att det numera finns ”tillräckligt stöd” för att underkänna hela det svenska systemet. Högsta domstolens nya ställningstagande innebär att såväl mervärdeskatt som inkomstskatt och arbetsgivaravgifter omfattas av förbudet mot dubbelbestraffning och dubbelprövning av lagöverträdelser som grundar sig på samma faktiska omständigheter och som riktats mot samma rättssubjekt. I förevarande framställning har jag därför utrett vad 2013 års praxis innebär respektive vilka sammanhängande frågor som fortfarande söker svar. I NJA 2013 s. 746 fann Högsta domstolen dessutom att rättsläget förändrades redan den 10 februari 2009. Att rättsläget förändrades vid nyss nämnda brytpunkt har i efterföljande avgöranden vid såväl Högsta domstolen som vid Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen visat sig vara avgörande för huruvida personer beviljats resning. I denna framställning har jag därför analyserat vilka omständigheter som enligt 2013 års praxis varit avgörande för att resning ska beviljas vid Högsta domstolen respektive Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen. I september 2013 lämnades betänkandet av utredningen om rättssäkerhet i skatteförfarandet (RIS-utredningen) över till regeringen som en direkt följd av 2013 års förändrade rättsläge. Flertalet remissinstanser bl.a. Ekobrottsmyndigheten, Domstolsverket och Skatteverket har lämnat remissyttranden med tudelad kritik. Förevarande framställning innehåller en konsekvens­analys av RIS-utredningens lagförslag. Framställningen innehåller även en analys av huruvida lagförslagen uppfyller grundläggande rättssäkerhetskrav om förutsebarhet och lika­behandling. Jag har i min framställning kommit fram till att lagförslaget inte uppfyller kraven på förutsebarhet eller att lika fall ska behandlas lika. I framställningen föreslår jag därför utifrån ett de lege ferenda-resonemang hur några utvalda risker som ett genomförande av SOU 2013:62 skulle innebära kan undanröjas.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität Bayreuth, 2004/05. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 421-438) and index.

Diss. Univ. St. Gallen, 2008 ; Nr. 3441. / Literaturverz.

Relationship between criminal and tax proceedings from the perspective of the ne bis in idem principle Abstract The thesis reflects upon the current case law of the European and national courts, which enables the possibility of both tax and criminal proceedings for the same act of the same person running simultaneously. The aim of the author is to compare both types of proceedings, analyse the relevant case law, and evaluate the consequences of its conclusions on the Czech legal order in the view of the ne bis in idem principle. The opening describes the criminal and tax proceedings, their main features, and principles governing them. Features common to both types of proceedings are noted (the ability to substantially infringe the human rights of individuals), as well as the most significant difference between them (particularly when the rules of evidence are concerned). The next part of the thesis is devoted to tax delicts, both those governed by the tax law (so called delicts against the remittance discipline and administrative delicts) and the criminal law. Tax criminal law is briefly described as well. Examination of the aim, purpose, and implementation of sanctions and the characteristics of the tax penalty, whose punitive nature deduced by the case law is crucial to the issues discussed, is given in...

Les scandales financiers se sont multipliés depuis les quarante dernières années et les réactions des médias et de l’opinion publique démontrent l’intolérance toujours plus manifeste à l’égard de ces infractions particulières. En témoignent également l’intérêt porté par les autorités européennes pour ces questions. Les règlements et directives en la matière n’ont cessé de se multiplier : d’une part, pour renforcer la prévention des infractions boursières par une augmentation des obligations d’information du public à charge des émetteurs d’instruments financiers ; d’autre part, pour accroître la sévérité de la répression à l’égard des infractions boursières ainsi que l’harmonisation entre les différents États membres de l’Union européenne, tels que la France et l’Italie. Il en résulte une accumulation de normes plutôt semblables entre les deux ordres juridiques nationaux, du moins en ce qui concerne l’information financière, mais un cadre juridique qui n’est pas des plus lisibles. Quant à la répression, les sanctions pénales ont retrouvé leur place aux côtés des sanctions administratives. Si la double répression des abus de marché par les juges répressifs et les autorités administratives a récemment été remise en cause par les cours européennes, puis par le Conseil constitutionnel français, il ne semble pas opportun de supprimer l’une ou l’autre voie de répression. Au contraire, une répartition des compétences entre les juges pénaux et les autorités administratives apparaît judicieuse et nécessaire.La question de la responsabilité des personnes morales a aussi été mise en lumière de façon explicite et placée au cœur des récentes évolutions européennes : alors que l’ordre juridique italien intègre déjà les exigences posées par le droit de l’Union, le système français de responsabilité pénale des personnes morales semble menacé. Enfin, la multiplicité des règles de prévention des abus de marché et le lourd arsenal répressif déployé par les autorités, tant européennes que françaises et italiennes, incitent également à proposer un modèle commun d’indemnisation des préjudices d’infractions boursières, afin que la cohérence caractérise l’ensemble du système de lutte contre les abus de marché. Cette cohérence semble se traduire par la prévision de conditions et de modalités d’indemnisation des victimes d’infractions boursières similaires au sein des États membres, notamment en ce qui concerne la détermination de la nature du préjudice et du montant de l’indemnisation accordée. / Financial scandals have been increasing since the past forty years and reaction from media and public opinion prove the more and more apparent intolerance towards this peculiar offences. The interest of european authorities in this matters reveal this intolerance too. European regulations and directives in this field are more and more: on the one hand, in order to strengthen the prevention of market abuse by raising publicly accountable on issuers financial instruments ; on the other and, in order to tighten up punishment of market abuse and to consolidate the harmonisation between the Member States of European Union, including France and Italy. As a result, there is an accumulation of norms, rather similar in both national legal order, at least with regards to financial information, but legal framework is not always intelligible. As for punishment, criminal penalties are successfully integrated beside amministrative penalties. The dual market abuse repression has been rejected by european courts, then by Constitutional Counsil, but suppress the one or the other form of punishment doesn’t seems to be appropriate. On the contrary, a distribution of competences between criminal courts and administrative authorities seems to be judicious and necessary. The topics of criminal liability of legal persons has been brougth sharply into focus of european market abuse legislation : while italian national legal order has already integrate the requirements of European Union, french system of criminal liability of legal persons appears to be in jeopardy. Finally, the many rules of market abuse prevention and repression deployed by european, french and italian authorities, prompt also to suggest a common model of compensation for market abuse damages, in order to ensure consistency of system of fight against market abuse. This consistency seems to be reflected in the creation of conditions and terms rules for compensation of market abuse victims in the Membre States of European Union : these rules should refers to the determination of the nature of the injury and the determination of the amount of compensation awarded. / I scandali finanziari si sono molteplicati nei quaranta ultimi anni e le reazioni dei media e dell’opinione pubblica dimostrano l’intolleranza sempre più patente nei confronti di questi reati peculiari. Traduce anche questa intolleranza il fatto che le autorità europee si interessano molto a questi problemi. I regolamenti e le direttive non cessano di molteplicarsi : da una parte, al fine di rinforzare la prevenzione dei reati borsistici tramite un aumento degli obblighi in materia di informazione finanziaria a carico degli emittenti ; dall’altra parte, al fine di accrescere la repressione nei confronti dei reati borsistici e di consolidare l’armonizzazione tra i diversi Stati membri dell’Unione europea, quali l’Italia e la Francia.Da quei fenomeni, risulta un’accumulazione di norme piuttosto simili tra i due ordinamenti giuridici, almeno per quanto riguarda l’informazione finanziaria. Tuttavia, il quadro normativo non appare molto accessibile. Quanto alla repressione, le sanzioni penali hanno ritrovato un posto accanto alle sanzioni amministrative. Benché il sistema repressivo del doppio binario sia stato rimesso in causa di recente dalle corti europee, e poi dalle corti nazionali, non sembra opportuno sopprimere l’una o l’altra via. Al contrario, una distribuzione delle competenze tra giudici penali ed autorità amministrative appare auspicabile e necessaria. La responsabilità delle persone giuridiche è anche stata messa il luce in modo esplicito e trattata nelle recenti riforme europee : mentre l’ordinamento giuridico italiano è già conforme alle esigenze istituite dal diritto dell’Unione europea, il sistema francese di responsabilità penale sembra minacciato.Per finire, il numero di regole di prevenzione e di repressione attuate dalle autorità francesi, italiane ed europee, incitano anche a proporre un modello comune di risarcimento per le vittime di reati borsistici, affinché la coerenza caratterizzi l’insieme del sistema di lotta contro gli abusi di mercato. Tale coerenza sarà possibile grazie alla creazione di condizioni e di modalità di indenizzo simili in tutti gli stati membri dell’Unione europea, in particolare con riferimento alla natura del danno subito e alla determinazione dell’ammontare del risarcimento consentito.

The dissertation thesis thoroughly examines the crime of legalization of proceeds of criminal activities (the crime of money laundering) as it is stipulated in the contemporary Czech Criminal Code. The crux of the thesis is an analysis of the most significant elements of the crime of money laundering that are legal objects (general values protected by criminal law), actus reus (physical elements of a crime), mens rea (mental elements of a crime) and offender (person who commits a crime). Within the framework of that analysis, all of the important and disputed questions relating to this crime are examined, e.g. a complex problem of legal objects of the crime of money laundering or a question of liability for so-called self-money laundering. The detailed analysis of the elements of the crime of money laundering is based on a research into the most important phenomenological aspects of money laundering (chiefly the grounds for money laundering, origin of money laundering and nature of the process of money laundering, including the means of realization of money laundering) and a research into the historical development of the elements of the crime of money laundering in the Czech legal order. Apart from an analysis of the matter of guilt, the dissertation thesis also consists of a relatively in-depth...

Because of its mandate and its enforcement powers, the ICC has been hailed as a major advance on the road towards individual accountability for the perpetration of the most heinous violations of human rights (international crimes) and thus as a major contribution to the prevention of such horrible crimes. However, with its limited resources in terms of human and financial means, the ICC will not be able to deal with all perpetrators of the crimes that come under its jurisdiction wherever such crimes are committed throughout the world. For this reason, in order to end impunity in the commission of international crimes, there will always be a need for combined efforts by the ICC and national courts. This reality is recognised by the Rome Statute which, in the preamble and article 1 of the Statute, provides that the jurisdiction of the ICC is “complementary” to national courts and that, therefore, States Parties retain the primary responsibility for the repression of international crimes. In legal literature, this is generally referred to as the “principle of complementarity” or the “complementarity regime of the Rome Statute”. In order to give effect to the complementarity principle of the Rome Statute, South Africa passed the Implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Act 27 of 2002 (hereafter the Implementation Act); which determines the modalities of prosecuting perpetrators of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in South African courts. The Implementation Act also provides that South African courts will have jurisdiction over these crimes not only when they are committed on South African territory but also when they are committed outside the Republic, thus empowering South African courts to exercise “universal jurisdiction” over these three international crimes. This thesis examines the extent to which South African courts, acting under the complementarity regime of the Rome Statute are, or are not, allowed to exercise universal jurisdiction over international crimes committed in foreign States. The study is based on two assumptions. First, it is assumed that since under the principle of complementarity South African courts are required to do the same job as the ICC, they should have the same powers as those States Parties gave to the ICC when they adopted the Rome Statute. Secondly, it is assumed that, although having the same mandate as the ICC in terms of the complementarity principle, South African courts are nonetheless domestic courts as opposed to the ICC which is an international court and that, accordingly, the international law principle of State sovereignty may impose limitations on their ability to exercise universal jurisdiction over international crimes committed in foreign States. In the light of the above assumptions, this study investigates three issues. Firstly, do South African courts have the same powers as the ICC has to disregard immunities of foreign States’ officials which, under international customary law, attach to their functions or status? Secondly, are South African courts entitled, as the ICC is, to disregard amnesties granted by foreign States, either in the process of national reconciliation or as means to shield the criminals from prosecution by the ICC? Finally, are South African courts entitled, as the ICC is, to retry a case which has already been tried in a foreign country but with the aim of shielding the accused from criminal responsibility or where, for example, the sentence imposed was too lenient in comparison with the gravity of the crime? / PhD (Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014