CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE IN SAN MARINO

This article will provide guidance on the Code of Civil Procedure in San Marino. San Marino is a small independent country located in the heart of Italy. Its legal system is based on Italian law and its civil law system. The country of San Marino is a stand-alone democracy. The international rules established by the Hague Service Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters may be used to effect the service of process in San Marino.

San Marino has its legal code called the Statutes. The Statutes are based on the civil law system and contain rules and regulations that govern various aspects of life in San Marino, including criminal law, civil law, and commercial law. Because San Marino is a small country with a legal system that is difficult to navigate, international legal disputes may require the expertise of a private San Marino process service agency like Undisputed Legal. Our process servers can help with the process, document retrieval, translation services, and traverse the complexities of international legal disputes.

BACKGROUND

San Marino's judiciary is independent and comprises the First Instance Court and the Appeal Court. The Great and General Council, the country's legislative body, appoints judges. The Supreme Court of Cassation is also available as an appeals court, but only in matters related to criminal law.

San Marino does not have a separate constitutional court. Instead, the Constitutional Guarantees Committee serves as an advisory body to ensure that laws and regulations do not violate the country's constitution. Judges not citizens of San Marino are entrusted with ordinary and administrative judicial competence. The Grand and General Council selects these jurists. The only people who may be Justices of the Peace in San Marino are San Marino residents. The Justice of the Peace, Uditore Commissariale, and the Judge of the Appeals work under the Civil and Penal Tribune umbrella to administer the Ordinary Court judicial system. The Council of Guarantors for Constitutionality and General Norms has authority in certain instances as prescribed by law and performs duties analogous to those of the Italian Constitutional Court.

Both the current Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Process have their origins in the year 1878. The Council of XII made up of twelve legislators, was a founding body of the national judicial system of San Marino, functioning as a Court of Appeals from the era of the free towns (comune). The Grand and General Council now elects the College of Guarantors, comprised of six judges, with a four-year mandate.

Our Undisputed Legal process servers can help navigate the San Marino legal system. As a microstate, San Marino operates under a civil law system. This can make it difficult for people to understand the requirements for serving legal papers within the country. Undisputed Legal can provide expert guidance on the relevant laws and regulations, ensuring that legal papers are served suitably.

SERVICE OF PROCESS IN SAN MARINO

Documents pertaining to the transfer of property, authorization of transactions, and claims may all be served and enforced between parties in different countries. San Marino has domestic and international requirements that should be complied with. Specifically, any San Marino-based business, organization, or individual seeking to serve papers abroad must first get a license from the Supreme Court of San Marino. The Supreme Court of San Marino requests a license cost of EUR 8,000.

In San Marino, a person must be physically served with a legal document and given an opportunity to read it. A legal document must be physically served on an individual outside of San Marino to be deemed to have received and read the document. When serving someone outside of San Marino, the party has sixty days to get the document and give them notice.

At Undisputed Legal, we assure our clients that their legal papers have been served correctly. We ensure that you are provided a proof of service document, which can be used as evidence that papers have been served correctly. This can be important in legal proceedings, where there may be disputes over whether papers have been served correctly.

INITIATING A CLAIM IN SAN MARINO

Legal proceedings must begin with submitting a statement of claim, including the allegations and the counterclaims in terms of both truth and law, as well as the statement of claim exhibits and the claimant's supporting proof and papers. When submitting a claim to the Register, evidence of payment for items that are inadmissible and judicial costs must be provided. If the President of the court determines that the matter is beyond the Court's purview, they may dismiss it and must promptly notify the Single Court's Chief Magistrate. The decree will provide the go-ahead for the statement of claim to be filed, schedule the first and second hearings, and choose the language(s) most appropriate for the proceedings within seven days of the claim being issued and in accordance with standard criteria.

The President of the Court must determine the means of service. Proof of service can be conducted by means of a combined telegram with a receipt confirmation, a courier with a signed receipt, or using alternative avenues such as by means of a registered letter with a request for an acknowledgment of receipt that a typical civil process is expected to use. Personal service of any process document is optional and not required.

Initiating a claim in San Marino can be complex and time-consuming, especially for individuals or businesses unfamiliar with the local legal system. This is where a private process service agency like Undisputed Legal can provide guidance and support throughout the entire process. This includes helping clients to understand the local legal requirements, identifying the appropriate court or tribunal to bring the claim, and preparing and filing the necessary documents.

Furthermore, we can help serve the legal papers per the local rules and regulations. This is particularly important in San Marino, where strict procedural rules apply to the service of legal papers. Failure to comply with these rules can result in the claim being dismissed or delayed.

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE OF PROCESS IN SAN MARINO

The Hague Service Convention was enacted on November 15, 1965, by the member nations of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and is the basis upon which process servers in San Marino serve civil and commercial issues. It was created so that lawyers could effectively and reliably serve papers on defendants and plaintiffs in another nation. The convention governs the service of process in civil and commercial issues but not for criminal cases. If the address of the person to be served is unknown, the Convention also will not apply. Nevertheless, only service in accordance with Article 5(1) of the Convention is legal. It is preferable to involve a private process service agency like Undisputed Legal to ensure that your documents comply with the requirements of the originating and the requesting state.

According to Article 5(1) of the Convention, all papers for service must be produced in Italian or accompanied by a validated and attested translation. Typically, the service of process may be completed in four to six weeks, not including transit time. International service often has variables that delay the service of your documents. At Undisputed Legal, we ensure that your documents are cared for and efficiently delivered to minimize these impediments.

Service of process between parties in different contracting nations was made easier by establishing the Hague Service Convention. The agreement stipulates that each contracting state should select a central body to receive requests for assistance. It is permissible for a judicial official authorized to serve process in the issuing state to submit a request for service directly to the competent authority in the receiving state. The recipient state's centralized authority, usually a local court, will make service arrangements after receiving the request. After service has been accomplished, the requesting judicial officer will get a certificate of service from the central authority.

ENFORCEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL JUDGEMENTS IN SAN MARINO

Since 2002, San Marino has been a signatory to the Hague Service Agreement. The Convention also counts Italy as a signatory. Nevertheless, enforcing the Convention's provisions between the two nations in Italy has proven difficult. The complications stem from San Marino's statement under Article 21(2)(a) of the Convention, in which the country publicly stated its resistance to postal service. If the receiving country does not object, Article 10(a) of the Convention states that it ‘must not interfere with... the ability to communicate court papers, using postal routes, directly to people abroad.’

Without prejudice to the different transmission procedures provided for by the bilateral conventions in force for the Republic of San Marino, the judicial authorities of the requesting State should address the request and annexed documents directly to the Single Court of the Republic of San Marino, with a copy also being sent to the Secretary of State for Justice. The Law Commissioner must execute the letter rogatory as soon as possible, no later than sixty days after receipt, unless the request has been suspended.

Enforcing a foreign ruling in San Marino may be difficult and time-consuming. However, Undisputed Legal can simplify the procedure with our in-depth familiarity with the laws and processes of San Marino, especially those pertaining to enforcing foreign judgments.

We can offer continuous assistance throughout the process service, from coordinating with the Central Authority to providing regular updates to our clients and ensuring all required paperwork is filed promptly and correctly. Serving foreign documents in San Marino may be challenging and time-consuming, but with our team at Undisputed Legal, the procedure can be simplified and streamlined. We aim to ensure that your papers are cared for and hope to deliver.

OUR PROCESS

Documents can be faxed at (800) 296-0115, emailed to ps@undisputedlegal.com, or uploaded on our website. We do require prepayment and accept all major credit and debit cards. Once payment is processed, your sales receipt is immediately emailed for your records.

Drop-offs must call and make an appointment first to be added to building security to permit access to our office. Documents for service must be in a sealed envelope with payment in the form of a money order or attorney check (WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH) payable to UNDISPUTED LEGAL INC.; Our receptionist will receive all documents.

DOMESTIC COVERAGE AREAS:

INTERNATIONAL COVERAGE AREAS:

OFFICE LOCATIONS

New York: (212) 203-8001 – 590 Madison Avenue, 21st Floor, New York, New York 10022
Brooklyn: (347) 983-5436 – 300 Cadman Plaza West, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, New York 11201
Queens: (646) 357-3005 – 118-35 Queens Blvd, Suite 400, Forest Hills, New York 11375
Long Island: (516) 208-4577 – 626 RXR Plaza, 6th Floor, Uniondale, New York 11556
Westchester: (914) 414-0877 – 50 Main Street, 10th Floor, White Plains, New York 10606
Connecticut: (203) 489-2940 – 500 West Putnam Avenue, Suite 400, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830
New Jersey: (201) 630-0114 - 101 Hudson Street, 21 Floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302
Washington DC: (202) 655-4450 - 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Suite 300, Washington DC 20004

FOR ASSISTANCE SERVING LEGAL PAPERS IN SAN MARINO

Pick up the phone and call Toll Free (800) 774-6922, or click the service you want to purchase. Our dedicated team of professionals is ready to assist you. We can handle all your San Marino process service needs; no job is too small or too large! For instructions on How To Serve Legal Papers in San Marino, Click Here!

Contact us for more information about our process-serving agency. We are ready to provide service of process to all our clients globally from our offices in New York, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C.

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Sources

1. The responsibilities of the College of Guarantors include:

To pronounce on the legality of regulations and processes when requested by at least 20 councilors of the State Congress, of 5 Municipal Councils, of 1.5% of voters, or when requested by the courts or the parties to a case.
to resolve disagreements between constitutional agencies concerning their respective responsibilities
to check the legality of planned referendums
to impose censure on the Regents' actions by intervention.

2. Leges Statutae, Book II, Section III, which it says that service must be repeated in the event of

Service made according to this Delegated Order is not subject to the usual rules regarding the failure of personal service.

3. The Supreme Court pointed out that when San Marino joined the Convention, the government published the document of accession and a set of statements. The former was written as legislation, whereas the latter was the product of an executive order. The Supreme Court ruled that the latter was invalid because its form rendered it unable to alter the convention's functioning (an ‘inappropriate act to narrow the scope of application to the preemptive Convention’).

4. It follows that to serve a defendant in Sammarinese for proceedings in Italy, a request must be made to the Sammarinese Central authority that conforms to the model appended to the Convention.

5. The order will not be carried out:

If the desired actions run counter to the fundamental values inherent in the San Marino constitution, as outlined in the Declaration of Citizens' Rights and Basic Principles;
If the desired actions are forbidden by law.
If the suggested actions threaten the Republic of San Marino's independence, security, or other vital interests;
If the crime for which the letter rogatory requests a search or seizure of property is not punished under the law of the requesting State and the legislation of the Republic of San Marino, or if the request is incompatible with San Marino law, then the letter rogatory will be denied.
If the requested information pertains to a crime that, in the Republic of San Marino, is regarded as a political crime or is related to a political crime;
If the letter rogatory is for the extradition of a witness, expert, or defendant to appear before foreign legal authorities, the requesting state does not provide enough assurances that the person's immunity will be protected.