Decision

Decision no. 2010-10 QPC of 2 July 2010

Parties C. et al. [Maritime commercial courts]

On May 19th 2010 the Constitutional Council, in the conditions provided for by Article 61-1 of the Constitution, received an application for a priority preliminary ruling on the issue of constitutionality transmitted by the Cour de cassation (decisions n° 12010 to 12018 of May 19th 2010), an application lodged by Messrs Philippe C, Vincent W, Réginald C, Lionel D, Loic M, Olivier L, Jean-Michel F and Tony F raising the issue of the conformity with constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms of Article 90 of the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code

THE CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL

Having regard to the Constitution;

Having regard to Ordinance n° 58-1067 of November 7th 1958 as amended (Institutional Act on the Constitutional Council);

Having regard to the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code;

Having regard to the Regulation of February 4th 2010 as to the procedure applicable before the Constitutional Council with respect to applications for priority preliminary rulings on the issue of constitutionality;

Having regard to the observations of the Prime Minister, registered on June 9th 2010;

Having regard to the observations on behalf of the Applicants made by the SCP Boré and Salvé de Bruneton, Attorneys at the Conseil d'Etat and the Cour de cassation, registered on June 15th 2010;

Having regard to the other documents produced and appended to the case file;

Attorney Louis Boré for the Applicants and Jérôme Greffe, representing the Prime Minister, were heard by the Council in open court on June 24th 2010;

Having heard the Rapporteur;

ON THE FOLLOWING GROUNDS

  1. Article 90 of the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code provides :
    " The Maritime Commercial Court is composed of five members, namely :
    One judge from the Tribunal de Grande Instance having jurisdiction over the area in which the Maritime Commercial Court is located, who shall presid Judges : one Director for Maritime Affairs not having taken part in the bringing of proceedings or investigation of the case in hand one Agent for Maritime Affairs chosen for his competence in the field of vessel security or safeguarding human life at sea from among the body of Maritime Affairs Officers, or Maritime Affairs civil servants or contractual category A staff one Master Mariner or a Class One Merchant Navy Captain aged under 60, either on the active list or absent from said list for a period of no longer than five years, with at least four years service as captain depending on the status of the accused, a fourth judge chosen as follows :

A - If the accused is a certified sailor or the holder of a diploma : a sailor holder of the same certificate or diploma on the active list or absent from said list for a period of no longer than five years
B - If the accused holds neither a certificate nor a diploma : a master or a person of a similar rank on the active list or absent from said list for a period of no longer than five years, belonging to the same specific technical category (bridge, machine or general work) as that of the accused.
C - If the accused is not a sailor : an Agent for Maritime Affairs chosen for his competence in the field of vessel security or safeguarding human life at sea from among the body of Maritime Affairs Officers, or Maritime Affairs civil servants or contractual category A staff.

The fourth judge provided for in A and B hereinabove shall be chosen from amongst sailors who have not been the object of any criminal conviction or disciplinary measure present in the port which is the seat of the Maritime Commercial Court or failing that in neighbouring ports.
A Maritime Affairs Inspector shall act as clerk to the court".

  1. The Applicants contend that the presence on the Bench of the Maritime Commercial Court of State personnel under the authority of the Maritime Affairs Administration who are answerable to the same and the fact that this same Administration is entrusted with the task of investigating cases and bringing proceedings before this Court infringe both the principles of independence and impartiality of the judge and the right to a fair trial.

  2. Firstly, Article 16 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen of 1789 proclaims : "Any society is which no provision is made for guaranteeing rights, or for defining the separation of powers, has no Constitution". The principle of independence is an integral element of the exercising of the prerogatives of a judge.

  3. Of the five members of the Maritime Commercial Court, two, or three members if the accused is not a sailor, are either Navy officers or civil servants or contractual employees of the State, all employed by the State and thus under the authority of the Government. Even though the challenged provision precludes the inclusion on the Bench of a Director of Maritime Affairs involved in the bringing of proceedings or the investigation of the case in hand, neither this Article nor any other statutory provision applicable to this Court offers appropriate guarantees such as to comply with the requirements of independence. Therefore, without it being necessary to examine the other arguments raised, these provisions must be held to be unconstitutional.

  4. The repeal of Article 90 of the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code shall apply to all offences not having been the object of a final judgment on the date of the publication hereof. As from said date, to exercise the jurisdiction which is vested in them by the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code, Maritime Commercial Courts shall sit with a Bench composed in similar fashion to that of ordinary courts of criminal jurisdiction.

HELD

Article 1: Article 90 of the Merchant Navy Disciplinary and Criminal Code is unconstitutional.

Article 2: The finding of unconstitutionality as set forth in Article 1 hereinabove shall take effect as of the date of the publication hereof in the conditions laid down in paragraph 5 hereof.

Article 3: This decision shall be published in the Journal officiel of the French Republic and notified in the conditions provided for in Section 23-11 of the Ordinance of November 7th 1958 referred to hereinabove.

Deliberated by the Constitutional Council sitting on July 1st 2010 and composed of Messrs Jean-Louis DEBRE, President, Messrs Jacques BARROT, Guy CANIVET, Michel CHARASSE, Renaud DENOIX de SAINT MARC, Mrs Jacqueline de GUILLENCHMIDT, Messrs Hubert HAENEL, and Mr Pierre STEINMETZ.

Announced on July 2nd 2010.

Les abstracts

  • 4. DROITS ET LIBERTÉS
  • 4.1. NOTION DE " DROITS ET LIBERTÉS QUE LA CONSTITUTION GARANTIT " (art. 61-1)
  • 4.1.1. Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen de 1789

  • 4.1.1.12. Article 16

Le principe d'indépendance des juridictions, qui résulte de l'article 16 de la Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen de 1789, peut être invoqué à l'appui d'une question prioritaire de constitutionnalité.

(2010-10 QPC, 02 July 2010, cons. 3, Journal officiel du 3 juillet 2010, page 12120, texte n° 91)
  • 11. CONSEIL CONSTITUTIONNEL ET CONTENTIEUX DES NORMES
  • 11.8. SENS ET PORTÉE DE LA DÉCISION
  • 11.8.6. Portée des décisions dans le temps

  • 11.8.6.2. Dans le cadre d'un contrôle a posteriori (article 61-1)

Le Conseil déclare contraire à la Constitution l'article 90 du code disciplinaire et pénal de la marine marchande qui définit la composition des tribunaux maritime commerciaux. Le Conseil précise que cette abrogation est applicable à toutes les infractions non jugées définitivement au jour de la publication de sa décision et que, par suite, à compter de cette date, pour exercer la compétence que leur reconnaît le code disciplinaire et pénal de la marine marchande, les tribunaux maritimes commerciaux siégeront dans la composition des juridictions pénales de droit commun.

(2010-10 QPC, 02 July 2010, cons. 5, Journal officiel du 3 juillet 2010, page 12120, texte n° 91)
  • 12. JURIDICTIONS ET AUTORITÉ JUDICIAIRE
  • 12.1. JURIDICTIONS ET SÉPARATION DES POUVOIRS
  • 12.1.2. Indépendance de la justice et des juridictions
  • 12.1.2.1. Principe

  • 12.1.2.1.1. Juridiction judiciaire

Le principe d'indépendance est indissociable de l'exercice de fonctions juridictionnelles et résulte de l'article 16 de la Déclaration de 1789.
Parmi les cinq membres du tribunal maritime commercial, deux d'entre eux, voire trois si le prévenu n'est pas un marin, ont la qualité soit d'officier de la marine nationale soit de fonctionnaire ou d'agent contractuel de l'État, tous placés en position d'activité de service et, donc, soumis à l'autorité hiérarchique du Gouvernement. Dès lors, même si l'article 90 du code disciplinaire et pénal de la marine marchande fait obstacle à ce que l'administrateur des affaires maritimes désigné pour faire partie du tribunal ait participé aux poursuites ou à l'instruction de l'affaire en cause, ni cet article ni aucune autre disposition législative applicable à cette juridiction n'institue les garanties appropriées permettant de satisfaire au principe d'indépendance.

(2010-10 QPC, 02 July 2010, cons. 3, 4, Journal officiel du 3 juillet 2010, page 12120, texte n° 91)
  • 12. JURIDICTIONS ET AUTORITÉ JUDICIAIRE
  • 12.2. STATUTS DES JUGES ET DES MAGISTRATS
  • 12.2.1. Principes constitutionnels relatifs aux statuts

  • 12.2.1.1. Indépendance statutaire

Parmi les cinq membres du tribunal maritime commercial, deux d'entre eux, voire trois si le prévenu n'est pas un marin, ont la qualité soit d'officier de la marine nationale soit de fonctionnaire ou d'agent contractuel de l'État, tous placés en position d'activité de service et, donc, soumis à l'autorité hiérarchique du Gouvernement. Aucune disposition législative applicable à cette juridiction n'institue les garanties appropriées permettant de satisfaire au principe d'indépendance.

(2010-10 QPC, 02 July 2010, cons. 4, Journal officiel du 3 juillet 2010, page 12120, texte n° 91)
À voir aussi sur le site : Communiqué de presse, Commentaire, Dossier documentaire, Décision de renvoi Cass. 3, Décision de renvoi Cass. 2, Décision de renvoi Cass. 4, Décision de renvoi Cass. 6, Décision de renvoi Cass. 7, Décision de renvoi Cass. 5, Décision de renvoi Cass. 8, Décision de renvoi Cass. 9, Décision de renvoi Cass., Références doctrinales, Vidéo de la séance.