Implicaciones del acusador privado en el procedimiento penal abreviado colombiano: un análisis desde la perspectiva constitucional
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Fecha
2024
Autores
Field Segura, Henry
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Facultad de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales
Ediciones Universidad Simón Bolívar
Ediciones Universidad Simón Bolívar
Resumen
El acusador privado es una figura jurídica introducida en el ordenamiento jurídico colombiano por la Ley 1826 de 2017, en el marco del procedimiento penal especial abreviado. Concebida como una herramienta que permite a las víctimas, como principales interesadas en la persecución del delito, participar activamente en el proceso penal y, de esta manera, hacer efectivo el derecho a la justicia, en lugar de dejar esta tarea exclusivamente en manos de la Fiscalía General de la Nación. Sus antecedentes se remontan a la expedición de la Ley 906 de 2004, que estableció el Proceso Ordinario como la única vía para investigar y juzgar todos los delitos contemplados en el Código Penal Colombiano (Ley 599 de 2000), sin importar su gravedad o las características de los involucrados. Sin embargo, la dependencia de un único instrumento procesal en materia penal, traería consecuencias como es el colapso del sistema judicial colombiano, amenaza que se hizo evidente con el represamiento de causas penales en los despachos judiciales del país. En particular en los casos referentes a delitos de baja lesividad. Ante el intento fallido del legislador al expedir la Ley 1153 de 2007, declarada inexequible por la Corte Constitucional mediante sentencia C-879 de 2008 por contrariar el artículo 250 de la Constitución, que reserva a la Fiscalía General de la Nación la facultad de investigar y acusar a los infractores de la norma penal en Colombia, el legislador, actuando como constituyente derivado, decidió modificar el artículo 250 de la Constitución. Esto lo hizo mediante el Acto Legislativo 006 de 2017, ampliando su alcance para permitir que las víctimas de delitos de menor lesividad pudieran ejercer el papel de acusadores dentro de la acción penal. Asimismo, el Estado colombiano, como Estado social de Derecho, se encuentra sujeto a la Constitución Política. Esta subordinación es dada por la supremacía de la Norma Superior, que legitima el ejercicio del poder político y establece los límites de acción de las instituciones y sus operadores; esta supremacía constitucional se sustenta en su carácter de norma fundamental y en el contenido de sus principios e ideales, los cuales orientan el ordenamiento jurídico y social del Estado. En este sentido, la institución del acusador privado se encuentra legitimada constitucionalmente por el artículo 250 y regulada legalmente por la Ley 1826 de 2004; o que garantiza que las actuaciones ejercidas por esta figura, dentro de la acción penal, se realice dentro del marco de las garantías y principios fundamentales establecidos en la Constitución. A partir de este punto, surge la necesidad de responder al interrogante: ¿Cómo incide la actuación del acusador privado en el procedimiento penal abreviado colombiano sobre la garantía del debido proceso, los derechos de las partes y la celeridad judicial, en consonancia con los principios constitucionales y la legitimidad del poder punitivo del Estado? Para ello se analizarán las garantías constitucionales que el legislador consideró al regular esta figura, tomando en cuenta, el Acto Legislativo 06 de 2011 y el parágrafo 2 del artículo 250 de la Constitución Política. Objetivos: Objetivo General. Analizar las implicaciones del concurso de Acusadores Privados en el Procedimiento Penal Abreviado colombiano con los preceptos constitucionales y el canon legislativo que le da sustento jurídico. Objetivos Específicos. Describir el desarrollo de la figura del Acusador Privado en medio del marco legal nacional en contexto con la Constitución Política. Identificar las atribuciones y la legitimación constitucional que sustentan las acciones del Acusador Privado en el entorno del sistema penal especial simplificado en Colombia. Determinar las implicaciones del Acusador Privado respecto a proteger y garantizar los derechos inalienables de los sujetos procesales en litigio. Materiales y Métodos: Materiales. Fuentes secundarias con un enfoque metodológico cualitativo, haciendo un análisis de las lecturas de artículos académico, jurisprudencias, sentencias, doctrina, leyes libros, entre otros Método. Esta investigación está enmarcada en un esquema que combina aspectos propios del paradigma cualitativo interpretativo y del sociocrítico por cuanto resultan más afines a la comprensión de los fenómenos sociales y jurídicos. Resultados: Partiendo de los objetivos propuestos en coherencia con el paradigma investigativo, se obtuvo una información que arrojó como resultado que en las actuaciones dentro de la acción pena, la figura del acusador privado tiene derecho a presentar pruebas, apelar decisiones y solicitar su reparación integral. Sin embargo, se encuentra limitada por su subordinación a la Fiscalía General de la Nación, ya que sus actuaciones están restringidas a procesos por delitos graves y toda negociación de preacuerdos debe contar con el acompañamiento de la Fiscalía. La importancia de esta figura radica en que garantiza los intereses de la víctima, fortalece la participación ciudadana y contribuye a la eficacia del sistema penal., la figura del acusador privado tiene derecho a presentar pruebas, apelar decisiones y solicitar su reparación integral. Sin embargo, se encuentra limitada por su subordinación a la Fiscalía General de la Nación, ya que sus actuaciones están restringidas a procesos por delitos graves y toda negociación de preacuerdos debe contar con el acompañamiento de la Fiscalía. La importancia de esta figura radica en que garantiza los intereses de la víctima, fortalece la participación ciudadana y contribuye a la eficacia del sistema penal. Sin embargo, como posibles consecuencias adversas que se podrían acarrear se encuentran los siguientes argumentos: Descongestión penal de la Rama Judicial de manera parcial y descontextualizada; incertidumbre de la víctima al no existir un límite temporal para que la Fiscalía General de la Nación, revierta la acción penal; falta de pericia por parte del representante de la víctima para ejercer apropiadamente las funciones públicas de indagación, investigación y acusación; tiempo limitado para el Traslado del Escrito de Acusación con los que cuenta el acusado para preparar su defensa jurídica y los delitos de hurto calificado y de hurto agravado no parecen responder al criterio de menor lesividad. Conclusiones: La reforma introducida por el Acto Legislativo 06 (2011) abrió la posibilidad de que la víctima del delito también pueda ejercer la acción penal de forma directa. Históricamente, la acusación privada en Colombia ha sido poco frecuente debido al predominio de la Fiscalía General de la Nación en el ejercicio de la acción penal. La Ley 1826 de 2017 agilizó procesos penales y consolidó la figura del acusador privado. Presenta limitaciones, como que solo se admite para delitos de menor lesividad y bajo impacto social. Se desarrolla a través del procedimiento penal abreviado. Está sujeta al régimen penal y disciplinario de los fiscales, y requiere su autorización para convertir la acción penal de pública a privado. No se permite en casos que afecten bienes públicos, de violencia intrafamiliar, concursos de delitos o en aquellos que se tramiten por el procedimiento ordinario. cuenta con una autonomía condicionada por ley. Su ejercicio público es transitorio, pudiendo cesar, bien sea por la culminación con providencia judicial condenatoria o absolutoria en el procedimiento penal especial abreviado, o por terminación anticipada de las herramientas alternativas para resolver de confrontaciones jurídicas. El fiscal del caso puede revertir la acción penal. Pueden surgir situaciones que dificulten el buen desempeño en el avance del proceso, tales como: Falta de pericia que pueda tener el apoderado legal de la víctima o su estudiante de consultorio jurídico; falta de recursos adecuados, tanto monetarios como logísticos, al momento de ejercer apropiadamente las acciones de indagar, investigar y acusar penalmente. Si bien la implementación de esta figura podría aliviar la carga de trabajo en algunos despachos de los fiscales, más no así en los despachos de los juzgados que serán congestionado con los procesos proveniente de la Fiscalía. En todo caso, La implementación de la figura del acusador privado, a pesar de su sólido fundamento legal, enfrenta desafíos operativos que pueden socavar las garantías del debido proceso, requiriendo ajustes para garantizar un proceso penal justo.
The private prosecutor is a legal figure introduced into the Colombian legal system by Law 1826 of 2017, within the framework of the special summary criminal procedure. It is conceived as a tool that empowers victims, as primary stakeholders in the prosecution of crimes, to actively participate in the criminal process and, thus, enforce their right to justice, rather than solely relying on La Fiscalía General de la Nación. Its antecedents can be traced back to Law 906 of 2004, which established the Ordinary Process as the exclusive method for investigating and adjudicating all crimes outlined in the Colombian Criminal Code (Law 599 of 2000), regardless of their severity or the characteristics of those involved. However, the reliance on a single procedural instrument in criminal matters would lead to consequences such as the collapse of the Colombian judicial system, a threat that became evident with the backlog of criminal cases in the country's judicial offices, particularly in cases involving low-impact crimes. In the face of the failed attempt by the legislature to enact Law 1153 of 2007, which was declared unconstitutional by the Corte Constitucional in ruling C-879 of 2008 for contradicting Article 250 of the Constitution, which reserves to the Fiscalía General de la Nación the power to investigate and prosecute violators of the criminal law in Colombia, the legislature, acting as a derived constituent, decided to modify Article 250 of the Constitution. This was done through Legislative Act 006 of 2017, expanding its scope to allow victims of low-impact crimes to act as accusers in criminal proceedings. Furthermore, the Colombian state, as a social state of law, is subject to the Political Constitution. This subordination is due to the supremacy of the Higher Norm, which legitimizes the exercise of political power and establishes the limits of action of institutions and their operators; this constitutional supremacy is based on its character as a fundamental norm and on the content of its principles and ideals, which guide the legal and social order of the State. In this sense, the institution of the private prosecutor is constitutionally legitimized by Article 250 and legally regulated by Law 1826 of 2004; thus guaranteeing that the actions exercised by this figure, within the criminal action, are carried out within the framework of the guarantees and fundamental principles established in the Constitution. From this point, the need arises to answer the question: How does the action of the private prosecutor in the Colombian abbreviated criminal procedure affect the guarantee of due process, the rights of the parties, and judicial efficiency, in accordance with constitutional principles and the legitimacy of the state's punitive power? To this end, the constitutional guarantees considered by the legislator when regulating this figure will be analyzed, taking into account Legislative Act 06 of 2011 and paragraph 2 of Article 250 of the Political Constitution. Objectives: General Objective. To analyze the implications of the concurrence of Private Prosecutors in the Colombian Abbreviated Criminal Procedure with the constitutional precepts and the legislative framework that provides its legal basis. Specific Objectives. To describe the development of the figure of the Private Prosecutor within the national legal framework in the context of the Political Constitution. To identify the powers and constitutional legitimation that support the actions of the Private Prosecutor in the context of the simplified special criminal system in Colombia. To determine the implications of the Private Prosecutor with respect to protecting and guaranteeing the inalienable rights of the parties involved in the litigation. Materials and Methods: Materials. Secondary sources with a qualitative methodological approach were used, conducting an analysis of academic articles, case law, judgments, legal doctrine, laws, books, and other relevant materials. Method. This research is framed within a schema that combines aspects of the interpretive and critical social paradigms, as these are more closely aligned with the understanding of social and legal phenomena. Results: Based on the objectives proposed in coherence with the investigative paradigm, information was obtained that showed that in the proceedings within the penal action, the figure of the private accuser has the right to present evidence, appeal decisions and request full reparation. However, it is limited by its subordination to the Attorney General's Office, since its actions are restricted to processes for serious crimes and all negotiations of pre-agreements must have the accompaniment of the Prosecutor's Office. The importance of this figure lies in that it guarantees the interests of the victim, strengthens citizen participation and contributes to the effectiveness of the penal system., the figure of the private accuser has the right to present evidence, appeal decisions and request full reparation. However, it is limited by its subordination to the Attorney General's Office, since its actions are restricted to processes for serious crimes and all negotiations of pre-agreements must have the accompaniment of the Prosecutor's Office. The importance of this figure lies in the fact that it guarantees the interests of the victim, strengthens citizen participation and contributes to the effectiveness of the penal system. However, the following arguments are considered as possible adverse consequences that could be brought about: partial and decontextualized decongestion of the Judicial Branch; uncertainty of the victim due to the lack of a time limit for the Attorney General's Office to reverse the penal action; lack of expertise on the part of the victim's representative to appropriately exercise the public functions of inquiry, investigation and accusation; limited time for the Transfer of the Indictment that the accused has to prepare his legal defense and the crimes of qualified theft and aggravated theft do not seem to respond to the criterion of lesser harm. Conclusions: The reform introduced by Legislative Act 06 (2011) opened the possibility for the victim of the crime to also exercise criminal action directly. Historically, private prosecution in Colombia has been rare due to the predominance of the Attorney General's Office in the exercise of criminal action. Law 1826 of 2017 streamlined criminal proceedings and consolidated the figure of the private accuser. It has limitations, such as that it is only allowed for crimes of lesser harm and low social impact. It is developed through the abbreviated criminal procedure. It is subject to the criminal and disciplinary regime of the prosecutors, and requires their authorization to convert the criminal action from public to private. It is not allowed in cases that affect public property, domestic violence, concurrences of crimes or in those that are processed by the ordinary procedure. It has an autonomy conditioned by law. Its public exercise is transitory, and may cease either by the culmination of a judicial decision of conviction or acquittal in the abbreviated special criminal procedure, or by early termination of the alternative tools to resolve legal confrontations. The prosecutor of the case may reverse the criminal action. Situations may arise that hinder the good performance in the advancement of the process, such as: Lack of expertise that the legal representative of the victim or his law student may have; lack of adequate resources, both monetary and logistical, at the time of appropriately exercising the actions of investigating, investigating and criminally charging. Although the implementation of this figure could alleviate the workload in some prosecutors' offices, this will not be the case in the offices of the courts that will be congested with the processes coming from the Prosecutor's Office. In any case, the implementation of the figure of the private accuser, despite its solid legal foundation, faces operational challenges that may undermine the guarantees of due process, requiring adjustments to guarantee a fair criminal process.
The private prosecutor is a legal figure introduced into the Colombian legal system by Law 1826 of 2017, within the framework of the special summary criminal procedure. It is conceived as a tool that empowers victims, as primary stakeholders in the prosecution of crimes, to actively participate in the criminal process and, thus, enforce their right to justice, rather than solely relying on La Fiscalía General de la Nación. Its antecedents can be traced back to Law 906 of 2004, which established the Ordinary Process as the exclusive method for investigating and adjudicating all crimes outlined in the Colombian Criminal Code (Law 599 of 2000), regardless of their severity or the characteristics of those involved. However, the reliance on a single procedural instrument in criminal matters would lead to consequences such as the collapse of the Colombian judicial system, a threat that became evident with the backlog of criminal cases in the country's judicial offices, particularly in cases involving low-impact crimes. In the face of the failed attempt by the legislature to enact Law 1153 of 2007, which was declared unconstitutional by the Corte Constitucional in ruling C-879 of 2008 for contradicting Article 250 of the Constitution, which reserves to the Fiscalía General de la Nación the power to investigate and prosecute violators of the criminal law in Colombia, the legislature, acting as a derived constituent, decided to modify Article 250 of the Constitution. This was done through Legislative Act 006 of 2017, expanding its scope to allow victims of low-impact crimes to act as accusers in criminal proceedings. Furthermore, the Colombian state, as a social state of law, is subject to the Political Constitution. This subordination is due to the supremacy of the Higher Norm, which legitimizes the exercise of political power and establishes the limits of action of institutions and their operators; this constitutional supremacy is based on its character as a fundamental norm and on the content of its principles and ideals, which guide the legal and social order of the State. In this sense, the institution of the private prosecutor is constitutionally legitimized by Article 250 and legally regulated by Law 1826 of 2004; thus guaranteeing that the actions exercised by this figure, within the criminal action, are carried out within the framework of the guarantees and fundamental principles established in the Constitution. From this point, the need arises to answer the question: How does the action of the private prosecutor in the Colombian abbreviated criminal procedure affect the guarantee of due process, the rights of the parties, and judicial efficiency, in accordance with constitutional principles and the legitimacy of the state's punitive power? To this end, the constitutional guarantees considered by the legislator when regulating this figure will be analyzed, taking into account Legislative Act 06 of 2011 and paragraph 2 of Article 250 of the Political Constitution. Objectives: General Objective. To analyze the implications of the concurrence of Private Prosecutors in the Colombian Abbreviated Criminal Procedure with the constitutional precepts and the legislative framework that provides its legal basis. Specific Objectives. To describe the development of the figure of the Private Prosecutor within the national legal framework in the context of the Political Constitution. To identify the powers and constitutional legitimation that support the actions of the Private Prosecutor in the context of the simplified special criminal system in Colombia. To determine the implications of the Private Prosecutor with respect to protecting and guaranteeing the inalienable rights of the parties involved in the litigation. Materials and Methods: Materials. Secondary sources with a qualitative methodological approach were used, conducting an analysis of academic articles, case law, judgments, legal doctrine, laws, books, and other relevant materials. Method. This research is framed within a schema that combines aspects of the interpretive and critical social paradigms, as these are more closely aligned with the understanding of social and legal phenomena. Results: Based on the objectives proposed in coherence with the investigative paradigm, information was obtained that showed that in the proceedings within the penal action, the figure of the private accuser has the right to present evidence, appeal decisions and request full reparation. However, it is limited by its subordination to the Attorney General's Office, since its actions are restricted to processes for serious crimes and all negotiations of pre-agreements must have the accompaniment of the Prosecutor's Office. The importance of this figure lies in that it guarantees the interests of the victim, strengthens citizen participation and contributes to the effectiveness of the penal system., the figure of the private accuser has the right to present evidence, appeal decisions and request full reparation. However, it is limited by its subordination to the Attorney General's Office, since its actions are restricted to processes for serious crimes and all negotiations of pre-agreements must have the accompaniment of the Prosecutor's Office. The importance of this figure lies in the fact that it guarantees the interests of the victim, strengthens citizen participation and contributes to the effectiveness of the penal system. However, the following arguments are considered as possible adverse consequences that could be brought about: partial and decontextualized decongestion of the Judicial Branch; uncertainty of the victim due to the lack of a time limit for the Attorney General's Office to reverse the penal action; lack of expertise on the part of the victim's representative to appropriately exercise the public functions of inquiry, investigation and accusation; limited time for the Transfer of the Indictment that the accused has to prepare his legal defense and the crimes of qualified theft and aggravated theft do not seem to respond to the criterion of lesser harm. Conclusions: The reform introduced by Legislative Act 06 (2011) opened the possibility for the victim of the crime to also exercise criminal action directly. Historically, private prosecution in Colombia has been rare due to the predominance of the Attorney General's Office in the exercise of criminal action. Law 1826 of 2017 streamlined criminal proceedings and consolidated the figure of the private accuser. It has limitations, such as that it is only allowed for crimes of lesser harm and low social impact. It is developed through the abbreviated criminal procedure. It is subject to the criminal and disciplinary regime of the prosecutors, and requires their authorization to convert the criminal action from public to private. It is not allowed in cases that affect public property, domestic violence, concurrences of crimes or in those that are processed by the ordinary procedure. It has an autonomy conditioned by law. Its public exercise is transitory, and may cease either by the culmination of a judicial decision of conviction or acquittal in the abbreviated special criminal procedure, or by early termination of the alternative tools to resolve legal confrontations. The prosecutor of the case may reverse the criminal action. Situations may arise that hinder the good performance in the advancement of the process, such as: Lack of expertise that the legal representative of the victim or his law student may have; lack of adequate resources, both monetary and logistical, at the time of appropriately exercising the actions of investigating, investigating and criminally charging. Although the implementation of this figure could alleviate the workload in some prosecutors' offices, this will not be the case in the offices of the courts that will be congested with the processes coming from the Prosecutor's Office. In any case, the implementation of the figure of the private accuser, despite its solid legal foundation, faces operational challenges that may undermine the guarantees of due process, requiring adjustments to guarantee a fair criminal process.
Descripción
Palabras clave
Acusador privado, Procedimiento penal, Reforma, Derechos fundamentales, Marco jurídico