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Cass. Pen., Sez. Unite, n. 8544 of 2020: The Predictability of Sentencing in External Competition in Mafia Association

The ruling n. 8544 of 2020 by the Court of Cassation, United Sections, represents an important milestone in Italian jurisprudence regarding convictions for external competition in mafia association. This article analyzes the content of the ruling, highlighting the implications related to the predictability of sentencing and the relationship with the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The Legal Context of the Ruling

The Court of Cassation was faced with the question of whether the principles established by the ECHR ruling in the Contrada case could be extended to similar cases, particularly regarding the predictability of convictions for the crime of external competition in mafia association. The Court reiterated that the ECHR ruling does not have a general character and cannot therefore be applied to situations different from those specifically addressed.

The ECHR ruling in the Contrada case is not a pilot judgment and cannot be considered an expression of a consolidated European jurisprudence.

The Identified Criticisms

One of the central issues that emerged from the ruling concerns the question of the predictability of sentencing. The Court highlighted how legal disputes related to the case of external competition have not created a structural deficiency in the Italian legal system, thus justifying the impossibility of extending the principles of the Contrada ruling to unexamined cases.

  • The Court confirmed that jurisprudential evolution cannot in itself constitute a sufficient reason to invoke a violation of the principle of legality.
  • It was emphasized that criminal liability must always be anchored to a clear regulatory and jurisprudential framework.
  • The ruling reiterated the importance of an interpretation that respects fundamental rights, but not in an extensive manner with respect to situations not specifically examined by the ECHR.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the ruling of the Court of Cassation n. 8544 of 2020 clarifies the limitations in the application of the principles expressed by the ECHR in Italian legal contexts. The Court emphasized the importance of predictability in criminal law, highlighting that the lack of a clear norm and a consolidated jurisprudential interpretation does not justify a retroactive application of new interpretations. This case underscores the importance of ensuring that criminal norms are accessible and comprehensible to all citizens, in order to avoid violations of fundamental human rights.