Commentary on the Ordinance Judgment No. 9965 of 2024: Nullity and Non-Existence in Civil Proceedings

The recent Ordinance No. 9965 of April 12, 2024, issued by the Court of Cassation, provides an important reflection on the issue of nullity of judgments and its implications in civil proceedings. In particular, the Court clarified that a judgment, despite having a decisive content, can be radically null if the reasoning and the operative part refer to a case different from the one under examination. This article aims to examine in detail the consequences of this ruling.

The Context of the Judgment

In the case at hand, the judicial provision was issued against the parties of the proceedings, but the reasoning and the operative part referred to a case involving different subjects. The Court excluded that it was a mere "error facti," which could be relevant under Article 395, No. 4, of the Code of Civil Procedure, asserting instead that it was a non-remediable nullity.

The Implications of Nullity

NULLITY - NON-EXISTENCE Judgment with reasoning and operative part concerning a case between subjects different from the parties in the proceedings - Error facti - Exclusion - Non-remediable nullity - Existence - Basis. The judicial provision, containing decisive content, issued against the parties in the proceedings, but with reasoning and operative part relating to a different case involving other subjects, is not affected by "error facti," relevant under Article 395, No. 4, of the Code of Civil Procedure, but by radical nullity, which can be raised either through ordinary means of appeal (including, in the case of a judgment on appeal, the appeal to the Court of Cassation under Article 360, paragraph 1, No. 4, of the Code of Civil Procedure for total absence of reasoning) or through an autonomous action for negative ascertainment ("actio nullitatis"), which can be brought at any time.

This ruling emphasizes that the nullity of a judgment is not just a technical error, but a substantive issue that can compromise the entire legal process. The interested parties can use various means of appeal, such as the appeal to the Court of Cassation, or initiate an autonomous action for negative ascertainment, known as "actio nullitatis." This action can be proposed at any time, thus providing some flexibility to the parties in protecting their rights.

Regulatory References and Jurisprudence

The Court referred to fundamental norms of the Code of Civil Procedure, in particular Articles 395 and 360, which deal respectively with the nullity of judgments and the modalities of appeal. It is interesting to note how this judgment fits into a jurisprudential path already traced by previous rulings, such as judgments No. 40883 of 2021 and No. 9910 of 2021, which have addressed similar issues.

  • Art. 395 c.p.c. - Nullity of judgments
  • Art. 360 c.p.c. - Grounds for appeal to the Court of Cassation
  • Related judgments: No. 40883 of 2021, No. 9910 of 2021
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