The Institutional Features of the Judicial Oversight on the Legitimacy of the "Pre-Judicial" Phase of the Proceedings for Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin

Authors

  • Tigran Markosyan Yerevan State University
  • Vahe Hovhannisyan Yerevan State University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU:C/2023.14.2.177

Keywords:

civil confiscation, proceedings for confiscation of property of illicit origin, in rem, right to property, legitimacy, judicial oversight, direct appeal, “deferred” appeal

Abstract

The legal proceedings for confiscating property of illicit origin represent a novelty in Armenian legal system, and the study of both its comprehensive and individual issues hold significant theoretical and practical importance.

Based on international documents, domestic legislation, and jurisprudence, the authors present an analysis of the general characteristic of the confiscation of property of illicit origin, as well as discuss several practical issues in the existing tools for management of the legitimacy of its "pre-trial" stage. Namely, the necessity for proper judicial oversight of acts, including actions and omissions that fall outside the scope of current oversight mechanisms, its implementation peculiarities, including consequences of recorded infringements are highlighted and as a result, the need for legislative regulations of such issues is raised.

In the article, the authors present several scientific and practical conclusions, such as the need to establish on a legislative level the scope and conditions for oversight of the legitimacy of the decisions, actions, and omissions of the competent authority in the "pre-judicial" stage of the confiscation of property of illicit origin. As a result, it can be stated that the conclusions presented in the article can serve as an indication for the further development of legal practice and existing regulations.

Author Biographies

Tigran Markosyan, Yerevan State University

Candidate of Law, Associate Professor at the Chair of Civil Procedure YSU, YSU, Faculty of Law, Lecturer-Coordinator at the Legal Clinic, Member of the Commission for the Qualification of the Bankruptcy Managers, Member of the Competition Protection Commission RA

Vahe Hovhannisyan, Yerevan State University

Doctor of Law, Professor, Head of YSU Chair of Civil Procedure

References

Совет Европы, Использование ареста и конфискации без вынесения обвинительного приговора, 2021, page 10.

Теодор Гринберг, Линда Сэмюэль, Вингейт Грант, Ларисса Грей, Возврат похищенных активов: Руководство по конфискации активов вне уголовного производства; Пер. с англ. — М.: Альпина Паблишерз, 2010, page 35.

Жан-Пьер Брюн, Ларисса Грей, Кевин Стивенсон, Клайв Скотт, Руководство по возврату активов для специалистов-практиков; Пер. с англ. — М.: Альпина Паблишер, 2012, pages 28-29, 161-163.

Venice Commission, CDL-AD(2022)048, Amicus curiae Brief for the Constitutional Court of Armenia on certain questions relating to the Law on the Forfeiture of Assets of Illicit Origin, adopted by the Venice Commission at its 133rd Plenary Session (Venice, 16-17 December 2022), para. 25.

Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2218, Fighting organised crime by facilitating the confiscation of illegal assets, 26 April 2018 (17th Sitting), para. 5 and 9.

Adopted 16.04.2020․ entered into force 23.05.2020։ See HHPT 2020.05.13/50(1605) Art.580։ Hereinafter referred to as “the Law”.

Venice Commission, CDL-AD(2022)048, Amicus curiae Brief for the Constitutional Court of Armenia on certain questions relating to the Law on the Forfeiture of Assets of Illicit Origin, adopted by the Venice Commission at its 133rd Plenary Session (Venice, 16-17 December 2022), para. 27.

https://www.e-draft.am/projects/1931/about.

Adopted 17.11.2017. Entered into force 09.04.2018. See HHPT 2017.12.13/74(1349) Art.1213.

Совет Европы, Использование ареста и конфискации без вынесения обвинительного приговора, 2021, page 25.

Venice Commission, CDL-AD(2022)014, Kosovo - Opinion on the Draft Law N°08/L-121 on The State Bureau for verification and confiscation of unjustified assets, adopted by the Venice Commission at its 131st Plenary Session (Venice, 17-18 June 2022), para. 19.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC–1432 of 30.10.2018.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC–1611 of 28.09.2021.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC–1249 of 22.12.2015.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC-844 of 07.12.2009.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC-1584 of 09.03.2021.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC–922 of 02.11.2010.

Constitutional Court Decision DCC–1191 of 24.02.2015.

Downloads

Published

2023-12-14

How to Cite

Markosyan, T., & Hovhannisyan, V. (2023). The Institutional Features of the Judicial Oversight on the Legitimacy of the "Pre-Judicial" Phase of the Proceedings for Confiscation of Property of Illicit Origin. Bulletin of Yerevan University C: Jurisprudence, 14(2 (39), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU:C/2023.14.2.177

Issue

Section

Civil Procedure