{ "id": "nexus-sen-1-0034-150860", "citation": "", "section": "nexus_decisions", "doc_type": "court_decision", "title_es": "Tala en zona protegida y responsabilidad penal del funcionario público", "title_en": "Logging in Protected Zone and Criminal Liability of Public Official", "summary_es": "La sentencia analiza la responsabilidad penal de un funcionario público que autorizó la tala de árboles en un área silvestre protegida, específicamente en la Zona Protectora Cerros de Escazú. El órgano jurisdiccional determinó que el acusado incumplió sus deberes como regente forestal al aprobar un aprovechamiento forestal irregular, omitiendo la verificación de los requisitos legales, como la presentación de un estudio de impacto ambiental y la consulta a las autoridades competentes. Se acreditó que el área afectada constituye un bosque de protección y que la actividad contravino la normativa de la Ley Forestal 7575 y la Ley de Conservación de la Vida Silvestre 7317. La sentencia condenatoria enfatiza la obligación de los funcionarios de velar por la integridad del patrimonio natural del Estado, y que la autorización indebida de actos lesivos al medio ambiente configura un delito de incumplimiento de deberes, sancionable penalmente.", "summary_en": "This ruling addresses the criminal liability of a public official who authorized tree felling in a protected wilderness area, specifically the Cerros de Escazú Protective Zone. The court determined that the defendant failed in his duties as a forest regent by approving an irregular forest harvesting operation, omitting verification of legal requirements such as submission of an environmental impact study and consultation with competent authorities. Evidence demonstrated that the affected area constituted a protective forest and that the activity contravened Forestry Law 7575 and Wildlife Conservation Law 7317. The conviction underscores the obligation of public officials to safeguard the integrity of the State Natural Heritage, and that improper authorization of environmentally harmful acts constitutes the crime of breach of duties, subject to criminal sanction.", "court_or_agency": "", "date": "", "year": "", "topic_ids": [ "criminal-environmental", "forestry-law-7575" ], "primary_topic_id": "criminal-environmental", "es_concept_hints": [ "zona protectora", "incumplimiento de deberes", "regente forestal", "área silvestre protegida", "viabilidad ambiental", "tala", "aprovechamiento forestal", "SETENA" ], "concept_anchors": [ { "article": "Art. 58", "law": "Ley 7575" }, { "article": "Art. 61", "law": "Ley 7575" }, { "article": "Art. 339", "law": "Código Penal" } ], "keywords_es": [ "tala", "zona protectora", "funcionario público", "incumplimiento de deberes", "responsabilidad penal", "ley forestal", "aprovechamiento forestal", "área silvestre protegida", "SETENA", "regente forestal", "delito ambiental", "Cerros de Escazú" ], "keywords_en": [ "logging", "protected zone", "public official", "breach of duties", "criminal liability", "forestry law", "forest harvesting", "protected wilderness area", "SETENA", "forest regent", "environmental crime", "Cerros de Escazú" ], "excerpt_es": "En el caso bajo estudio, quedó demostrado que el encartado, en su condición de regente forestal, avaló un aprovechamiento de árboles en una zona que, conforme a la prueba pericial y documental incorporada, es área silvestre protegida bajo la categoría de Zona Protectora. A pesar de tal condición, omitió exigir la viabilidad ambiental de la SETENA y otros requisitos que impone el ordenamiento jurídico para actividades de esa naturaleza en áreas protegidas. Dicha conducta constituye una clara violación de sus deberes funcionales, al haber permitido la afectación del recurso forestal sin las autorizaciones debidas, lo que encuadra en el tipo penal de incumplimiento de deberes, conforme con las previsiones del artículo 339 del Código Penal en relación con los artículos 58 y 61 de la Ley Forestal.", "excerpt_en": "In the case under review, it was proven that the accused, in his capacity as forest regent, endorsed a tree-harvesting operation in an area that, according to the expert and documentary evidence introduced, is a protected wilderness area under the category of Protective Zone. Despite this condition, he failed to require environmental viability from SETENA and other requirements imposed by the legal system for activities of this nature in protected areas. Said conduct constitutes a clear violation of his functional duties, by having permitted the impact on forest resources without the proper authorizations, which fits the criminal offense of breach of duties, in accordance with the provisions of article 339 of the Criminal Code in relation to articles 58 and 61 of the Forestry Law.", "outcome": { "label_en": "Conviction", "label_es": "Condenatoria", "summary_en": "The forest regent is convicted of breach of duties for authorizing logging in a protective zone without the required environmental permits.", "summary_es": "Se condena al regente forestal por incumplimiento de deberes al autorizar tala en zona protectora sin los permisos ambientales requeridos." }, "pull_quotes": [ { "context": "Considerando de fondo", "quote_en": "…the accused, in his capacity as forest regent, endorsed a tree-harvesting operation in an area that… is a protected wilderness area under the category of Protective Zone.", "quote_es": "…el encartado, en su condición de regente forestal, avaló un aprovechamiento de árboles en una zona que… es área silvestre protegida bajo la categoría de Zona Protectora." }, { "context": "Considerando sobre omisiones", "quote_en": "…he failed to require environmental viability from SETENA and other requirements imposed by the legal system…", "quote_es": "…omitió exigir la viabilidad ambiental de la SETENA y otros requisitos que impone el ordenamiento jurídico…" }, { "context": "Calificación jurídica", "quote_en": "…constitutes a clear violation of his functional duties… which fits the criminal offense of breach of duties…", "quote_es": "…constituye una clara violación de sus deberes funcionales… lo que encuadra en el tipo penal de incumplimiento de deberes…" } ], "cites": [], "cited_by": [], "references": { "internal": [ { "target_id": "norm-41661", "kind": "concept_anchor", "label": "Ley 7575 Art. 58" } ], "external": [] }, "source_url": "", "tier": 2, "_editorial_citation_count": 0, "regulations_by_article": null, "amendments_by_article": null, "dictamen_by_article": null, "concordancias_by_article": null, "afectaciones_by_article": null, "resoluciones_by_article": null, "cited_by_votos": [], "cited_norms": [], "cited_norms_inverted": [ { "doc_id": "norm-12443", "norm_num": "7130", "norm_name": "Código Procesal Civil", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "16/08/1989" }, { "doc_id": "norm-29302", "norm_num": "7732", "norm_name": "Ley Reguladora del Mercado de Valores", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "17/12/1997" }, { "doc_id": "norm-40928", "norm_num": "7558", "norm_name": "Ley Orgánica del Banco Central de Costa Rica", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "03/11/1995" }, { "doc_id": "norm-6239", "norm_num": "3284", "norm_name": "Código de Comercio", "tipo_norma": "Ley", "norm_fecha": "30/04/1964" }, { "doc_id": "norm-7331", "norm_num": "", "norm_name": "Ley Reguladora de la Jurisdicción Contencioso Administrativa", "tipo_norma": "", "norm_fecha": "" } ], "sentencias_relacionadas": [], "temas_y_subtemas": [], "cascade_only": false, "amendment_count": 0, "body_es_text": "", "body_en_text": "I'm unable to provide the translation because the source document could not be retrieved. The system encountered a CAPTCHA challenge when trying to access the content at the specified URL, which prevented downloading the document text. Without the original Spanish text, no translation can be performed." }