The Proportionality Principle in the Jurisprudence of the Russian Constitutional Court

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-233
Author(s):  
Alexandra Troitskaya

Abstract This paper addresses the boundaries on restrictions of human rights imposed by the proportionality principle, examines the elements of the structure of this principle, and attempts to present the meaning of its elements consistently in terms of the potential for the protection of fundamental rights that are subject to restrictions. The main criticisms of some proportionality tests are considered, as well as ways to minimize the risks associated with the use of proportionality. These theoretical considerations are placed in the context of the jurisprudence of the Russian Constitutional Court, to demonstrate that the Court, instead of consistently applying proportionality tests, often draws generalized conclusions regarding the proportionality (or disproportionality) of restrictions and therefore tends to heighten some of the risks of applying the principle. One can observe some positive changes in the application of the principle, and in further requests for this. Conclusions are formulated concerning the improvement of the Court’s activities in terms of a more consistent and structured implementation of the principle of proportionality.

Law and World ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 51-59

The paper addresses the basic rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia, in particular, issues related to personal data. The development of information technology has had a significant impact on the dangers of illegal processing of personal data. The European Court of Human Rights considers the inviolability of private life as a precondition for human autonomy, independent development and protection of human dignity. According to the norms of international law, the right to respect for private life is recognized as one of the most important and fundamental rights, the protection of which is indicated by the legislation of Georgia. The aim of the paper is to analyze the legislation and practice of police law in the field of protection of the right to privacy and to offer relevant recommendations, taking into account the standards set by European and national courts. Human rights legislation must ensure the protection of all human beings against the abuse of state power. Interference with rights must be based on the principle of proportionality. The use of policing should not pose an excessive threat of fundamental human rights violations. Interference with a particular right must be done under principle of proportionality to achieve a certain public good. In clarifying the issue of alleged violation of the right, special attention should be paid to the severity and probability of the expected threat to legal good. The Constitution of Georgia, EU and Council of Europe data protection standards, national legislation, as well as the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the National Constitutional Court are analyzed around the topic. In addition, the reports of the State Inspector, the Public Defender and the relevant scientific literature are used to study the above issues.


Abstract In a recent decision, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that the constitutional complaint before the Hungarian Constitutional Court can be seen as an effective domestic remedy. This decision shows the growing role of constitutional complaint procedures even in the international system of human rights protection; therefore, it is worth examining how national laws ensure efficient access to such procedures. The current paper aims to analyse a specific aspect of this complex problem, namely, the question of legal aid in constitutional court proceedings – particularly constitutional complaints procedures – in Germany, Austria and Hungary. As a general staring point, it is intended to derive the need for legal aid from the national constitutions, followed by an analysis on the availability of legal aid schemes for constitutional complaint procedures and their conditions. The examination is based on the national legal provisions and case-law, as well as the relevant secondary literature. This comparative study can enable some conclusions to be drawn on the question of how constitutional complaints can become more efficient tools in the protection of fundamental rights for those in need, as well.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosaria Sicurella

The decision of the Court of Justice in the M.A.S. and M.B. case marks a very significant step forward in the Taricco saga. It clearly shows the intention of the European Court to tone down the confrontation with the Italian Constitutional Court, while at the same time maintaining the most relevant achievement of the decision in the Taricco case, that is to say the fact to consider Article 325 TFEU as having direct effect. The author expresses quite a critical view on the solution adopted by the ECJ which finally results in a sort of “flexibilization” of the principle of legality at EU level in order to meet some of the claims by the Italian Constitutional Court. In the author's opinion, such a solution risks to undermine the overall coherence and soundness of the protection of fundamental rights at EU level, although it can appear at a first glance to boost the legality principle. A better solution could have been to develop a different reasoning relying on rights in the Charter other that the nullum crimen principle, and avoid to touch at the well-established scope of this principle as established in Article 49 Charter and also in Article 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights.


2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles G Ngwena

AbstractIf applied in isolation from the fundamental rights of women seeking abortion services, the right to conscientious objection can render any given rights to abortion illusory, including the rights to health, life, equality and dignity that are attendant to abortion. A transformative understanding of human rights requires that the right to conscientious objection to abortion be construed in a manner that is subject to the correlative duties which are imposed on the conscientious objector, as well as the state, in order to accommodate women's reproductive health rights. In recent years, the Colombian Constitutional Court has been giving a judicial lead on the development of a right to conscientious objection that accommodates women's fundamental rights. This article reflects on one of the court's decisions and draws lessons for the African region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-201
Author(s):  
Giulia Angiolini

The purpose of this paper is to try to analyse the Italian regulation of accused persons’ remote participation in criminal proceedings. The interest in this matter arises from the suspected frictions of the provisions at hand with fundamental rights to be guaranteed for a fair trial. These suspicions, aroused right after the introduction of the institute in Italian law, have been increased by the recent reform of the discipline of remote participation, and they become even clearer after a comparison of Italian regulation with those of other European Countries. Hence, an inescapable question occurs: will the European Court of Human Rights and the Italian Constitutional Court save the new regulation as they did with the previous one?


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andi Muhammad Asrun

Abstract: Human rights on the one hand by the concept of natural law is an inherent right of every individual human being since birth, but on the other hand the legality of human rights must be shaped by the flow of positivism. The debate over whether human rights should be stipulated in the constitution also influence the discussion of the UUD 1945. Finally, the UUD 1945 amendments regulate the basic rights of citizens more fully starts from the premise that human rights protection is an important element in the concept of a constitutional state. Incorporated therein also setting mechanism of "judicial review" in the Constitutional Court as a means to avoid any legislation contrary to the fundamental rights of citizens as guaranteed in the constitution. Abstrak: Hak Asasi Manusia Dalam Kerangka Negara Hukum: Catatan Perjuangan di Mahkamah Konstitusi. Hak asasi manusia pada satu sisi menurut konsep hukum alam adalah suatu hak yang melekat pada setiap individu manusia sejak dilahirkan, tetapi pada sisi lain hak asasi harus bentuk legalitas menurut aliran positivisme. Perdebatan apakah hak asasi manusia harus diatur dalam konstitusi atau tidak perlu dimuat dalam konstitusi juga mewarnai pembahasan UUD 1945. Amandemen UUD 1945 pasca berakhirnya 32 tahun Pemerintahan Orde Baru di bawah Suharto membawa perubahan significant UUD 1945. Pasca amandemen UUD 1945, konstitusi mengatur secara umum hak warganegara secara lebih lengkap. Perlindungan hak asasi manusia merupakan satu elemen penting dalam konsep negara hukum. Pasca amandemen konstitusi, UUD 1945 mengatur hak-hak dasar warganegara yang lebih lengkap bertitik tolak dari pemikiran bahwa perlindungan hak asasi manusia merupakan satu elemen penting dalam konsep negara hukum. UUD 1945 pasca amandemen memasukkan pengaturan hak warga negara lebih rinci serta mekanisme “judicial review” di Mahkamah Konstitusi sebagai sarana untuk menghindari adanya peraturan yang bertentangan dengan hak-hak dasar warganegara sebagaimana dijamin dalam konstitusi. DOI: 10.15408/jch.v4i1.3200


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
Bisariyadi Bisariyadi

The power of the Indonesian Constitutional Court to review laws is a constitutional adjudication process. It is a forum to resolve constitutional issues where a citizen can challenge Law that has injured his rights. The Court's reasoning provides audiences with the debates for its deliberation. Audiences may find reference to the international human rights law. It is an interesting practice. However, there is no studies yet about the information on the statistic of the Court made reference to international human rights law. As such, this study aims to identify reference to international human rights law in the Court's decision on judicial review cases from 2003 to 2016. Additionally, this study also aims to answer the question of what underlies the Court to made reference to international human rights law. As many studies show, the objective of Constitutional Court's references to the international human rights law is to strengthen constitutional rights protection. Nonetheless, the Court did not pay any interests to the global agenda of transnational constitutionalism or a convergence of rights and legal pluralism. The article is divided into 5 (five) sections, commencing with the introduction. The second part discusses the status of international human rights law in Indonesia. As the third presents information on Court's decision which cited international human rights law. Then, the fourth presents typical function of the decision that made reference to international human rights law. It concluded that the practice of referring to international law demonstrates the open attitude of Indonesian constitutional justices to the universal nature of fundamental rights.


Author(s):  
Szabolcs Stock

The aim of the article is to present how one can excercise their freedom of expression through acts. I focus ont the decisions of the Hungarian Constitutional Court, the European Court of Human Rights and the U. S. Supreme court. I analyze these decisions, and compare the fundamental rights that can collide, such as freedom of expression versus the right to property, which one should prevail when they come into collision. I also study how one can decide, whether the act should fall within the protected circle of the freedom of expression, or it should be penalized as a crime, or misdemeanor.


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