Ceza Mahkemesi Tarafından Ceza Verilmesine Yer Olmadığına İlişkin Kararın Hukuk Mahkemesi Kararlarına Tesiri
Bu çalışmada, ceza mahkemesinden verilen ve esasa ilişkin nihaî bir karar olan ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının, hukuk mahkemesi bakımından bağlayıcı etkisi ele alınmaktadır. Bağlayıcı etki olarak söz konusu kararın öncelikle hukuk mahkemesi bakımından kesin hüküm etkisi incelenmektedir. Ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının hukuk mahkemesindeki etkileri hakkında hukukumuzda açık ve genel bir düzenleme mevcut değildir. Bu nedenle Türk Borçlar Kanunu’nun 74. maddesi ile Hukuk Muhakemeleri Kanunu’nun 214. maddesinin yorumlanarak ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının hukuk mahkemesi bakımından kesin hüküm etkisinin izah edilmesi gerekir. Bununla beraber ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının verilme sebepleri tek tek ele alınarak hukuk mahkemesindeki etkisinin incelenmesi de gerekir. Ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararı, fiilin hukuka aykırılığı ve failin o fiili işlediği hususlarında hukuk mahkemesi bakımından bağlayıcı iken ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının verilme gerekçeleri bakımından hukuk mahkemesi bağlı değildir. Ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının hukuk mahkemesi bakımından bağlayıcı olmadığı haller de bu çalışma kapsamında incelenmektedir. Ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının hukuk mahkemesi bakımından bağlayıcı olduğu bir diğer husus ise unsur etkisidir. Ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararı, hukuk mahkemesinde yargılamanın yenilenmesi sebebi oluşturuyorsa, usûlî bir unsur etkisine sahip olmaktadır. Son olarak ceza zaman aşımının daha uzun olması halinde, ceza verilmesine yer olmadığı kararının haksız fiil zamanaşımını uzatıcı etkiye sahip olup olmadığı konusu da işlenmektedir.
The Effects Of The “Non Necessity Of Punishment” Decision That Handed Down By Criminal Court On Civil Court
The binding effect of the “non necessity of punishment” decision which is a substantial final judgment rendered by a criminal court, on a civil court is discussed in this paper. Res judicata effect is assessed first regarding the mentioned decision’s binding effect on civil courts. There is no explicit or general legislation regulating the effects of “non necessity of punishment decision” on civil courts. Hence, res judicata effect of this decision on civil courts should be explained with regard to article 74 of Turkish Code of Obligations and article 214 of Code of Civil Procedure. Moreover the grounds for rendering “the non necessity of punishment decision” and its effect on civil courts should be examined separately. Even though civil courts are not bound by the rationale of “non necessity of punishment decisions”, they are bound by the ruling on the unlawfulness of the actus reus and the fact that the perpetrator committed the act. Situations where the mentioned decision is not binding on the civil courts are also examined within the scope of this article. “Non necessity of punishment decision” has a procedural condition effect if it constitutes the reason for a retrial in civil courts. Finally, extensive effect of “the non necessity of punishment decision” where the criminal statue of limitations is longer upon the statue of limitations regarding tortuous act is evaluated.
In the field of criminal law, the situations where the “non necessity of punishment” decision shall be rendered are listed under paragraphs 3 and 4 of article 223 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The binding effect of the “non necessity of punishment” decision which is a substantial final judgment rendered by a criminal court, on a civil court is discussed in this paper. The res judicata effect is assessed first regarding the mentioned decision’s binding effect on civil courts. Positive and negative effects of res judicata nature of the decision are reviewed separately. The parties, the legal grounds and the subjects of the prior and subsequent cases have to be same for the positive effect of the res judicata. The aforementioned conditions required for res judicata, however, are not identical in a civil case and a criminal case. As a result, the “non necessity of punishment” decision does not produce negative effect of res judicata over civil court. The parties and grounds for the civil and the criminal case have to be identical where the subject matter of these two cases has to be different in order to, create the positive effect of the res judicata in civil court. Since a civil case and a criminal case must have the same parties and legal grounds while different subject matters, a “non necessity of punishment” decision has the capability of creating the positive effect of res judicata over civil court. There is no explicit or general legislation regulating the effects of a “non necessity of punishment” decision on civil courts. Hence, the res judicata effect of this decision on civil courts should be explained with regard to article 74 of the Turkish Code of Obligations and article 214 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Moreover the grounds for rendering the “non necessity of punishment” decision and its effect on civil courts should be examined separately. The grounds for rendering the “non necessity of punishment” decision, depending on the crime, are; infancy, having a mental illness, deafness, muteness or presence of temporary causes; committing the crime while carrying out an order that is unlawful but binding or due to state of necessity or due to compulsion or threat; crossing the line in self-defense due to excitement, fear and panic; mistake which removes faultiness; effective remorse; existence of personal impunity, acrimonious exchange of word, low degree of unlawfulness of act committed. Even though civil courts are not bound by the rationale of the “non necessity of punishment” decisions, they are bound by the ruling on the unlawfulness of the actus reus and the fact that the perpetrator committed the act. In other words the reasons stated in subarticles 3 and 4 of article 223 of the Code of Criminal Procedure are not binding in civil court. Situations where the mentioned decision has not any binding effect for the civil courts are also examined within the scope of this article. The “non necessity of punishment” decision is not binding in civil court according to article 74 of the Turkish Code of Obligations regarding the presence of capacity of discernment, culpability and assessment of damages. Another point where the “non necessity of punishment” decision is binding in civil court is the condition effect. The condition effect defines a situation where a court decision constitutes a condition or a component of a law, which will be applied to a subsequent case. The “non necessity of punishment” decision has a procedural condition effect if it constitutes the reason for a retrial in civil courts (subarticles d, e, f, g, ğ article 375 of Code of Civil Procedure). Finally, when the statute of limitations in criminal law is longer than the civil law, the extensive effect of the the “non necessity of punishment” decision on the statute of limitations regarding tortious act, is also evaluated.