Supreme Court, order of 15 March 2026, N. 5824
Legal Principle
In public works contracts concluded in the Region of Sicily, the intention to refer disputes to arbitration cannot be inferred from a mere reference to the general conditions of contract set out in d.P.R. 1063/1962, since the source of the arbitration is to be found in the regional legislation (art. 9 l.r. Sicilia 21/1973 and art. 32 co. 1 l.r. Sicilia 21/1985) which refers to d.P.R. 1063/1962 and l. 741/1981, as amended following Corte cost. 152/1996; a contractual clause making reference to the general conditions of contract is merely declaratory of the law and is not apt to replace the law itself as a contractual source.
By virtue of the declaration of constitutional illegitimacy of art. 16 l. 741/1981 by Corte cost. 152/1996, arbitral jurisdiction in public works contracts governed by the general conditions of contract set out in d.P.R. 1063/1962 may be excluded by either party by commencing proceedings before the competent court, in application of art. 47 of the said d.P.R. in its original formulation.
Methodological Notes
standard