L'insolvabilité et le droit pénal

par Philippe Ngarkassa

Thèse de doctorat en Droit pénal

Sous la direction de Georges Vermelle.

Soutenue en 1986

à Tours , en partenariat avec Université de Tours. UFR de droit, d'économie et des sciences sociales (autre partenaire) .

mots clés

• Faillite -- France
• Sentences (procédure pénale) -- France

Résumé

L'insolvabilite est l'etat de celui qui ne peut pas payer ses dettes. Que le droit penal s'interesse a ce concept est une certitude, tout au moins au niveau de la constitution des infractions. C'est ainsi le cas, lorsqu'il est fait allusion aux delits de filouterie, delit qui ne peut etre constitue que lorsque l'auteur des actes reprehensibles est dans l'impossibilite absolue de payer, c'est a dire insolvable. C'est egalement le cas dans les delits d'insolvabilite organisee. Le delit est constitue lorsque l'augmentation du passif ou la diminution de l'actif ont pour consequence de rendre le debiteur insolvable. Mais a l'instar d'autres branches juridiques, le droit penal a une portee limitee quant a la sanction de l'insolvabilite. En effet, autant la sanction de l'insolvabulite organisee est dissuasive (car elle suppose que la preuve de la solvabilite est faite) autant la condamnation de l'insolvabilite reelle est inefficace. Tant au niveau des peines privatives de liberte que des peines pecuniaires. D'ou l'interet de recourir a des remedes pour resoudre le probleme de l'insolvabilite en droit penal.

Titre traduit

Insolvency and penal law

Résumé

Insolvency is the state of any individual who is in the utter impossibility of paying off his debts. Penal law is ieterested in this concept at the level of the infringements in two ways. On the one hand, implicitly, as far as swindling offences are concerned. So, before examining its determinant role in the constitution of this offence, we found it necessary to see in it an exclusive cause of the charge, at least extenuating circimstances of penalty. On the other hand, explicity, in offences regardind fraudulent insolvency the proceeding of which is consisted either in the increase or discrease of the debt. But does penal law penalize insolvency. No, because in both cases, law only proscribes behaviours revealing or intending to organize it. The effectivenessof this sanction is induhitable when insolvency is organized because both the public treasory and the creditor have meams to compel the delinquent to pay off his debts he is proved to be solvent. But regarding the real insolvent who has no estate and from whom law cannot get a single penny, the problem is quite different. He cannot pay off his debts, therefore meney penalties are null and void. Noreover, his emprisonnement cost a grest deal of money to taxepayers. To bring an action against him, the judge has to resort to substitution measures. Theses measures are garantees that are penal by nature, and which very often let the victims hopless. It is the reason why, in order to fill the gaps, the legislator appealed to national solidarity for their compensation when the author of the offence is insolvent, which enabled penal law to gain authority in this ares in wich it was powerless.