European Standards of Parliamentary Publicity

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-72
Author(s):  
Flóra Szalai ◽  
Boldizsár Szentgáli-Tóth
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Free Speech ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Modern Technology ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Broad Definition ◽  
European Court ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Definition Of

Abstract Our study will provide a broad definition of parliamentary speech, and on this ground, we will assess, whether there are unitary European standards of parliamentary free speech. For this purpose, we will distinguish external and internal aspects of parliamentary publicity, and we will analyse, which are the proper basis to restrict these crucial values. The parliamentary law and practice of a great number of European countries will be taken into account, and also the case law of the European Court of Human Rights will be highlighted. As the outcome of the analysis, certain proposals will be put forward to promote parliamentary publicity with the help of the instruments of modern technology.

In Search of a Standard: References to the Rule of Law in the Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights

ICL Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-69
Author(s):  
Eszter Polgári
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Rule Of Law ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Council Of Europe ◽  
The Rule Of Law ◽  
Working Definition ◽  
European Court ◽  
Structured Analysis ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Grand Chamber

AbstractThe present article maps the explicit references to the rule of law in the jurisprudence of the ECtHR by examining the judgments of the Grand Chamber and the Plenary Court. On the basis of the structured analysis it seeks to identify the constitutive elements of the Court’s rule of law concept and contrast it with the author’s working definition and the position of other Council of Europe organs. The review of the case-law indicates that the Court primarily associates the rule of law with access to court, judicial safeguards, legality and democracy, and it follows a moderately thick definition of the concept including formal, procedural and some substantive elements. The rule of law references are predominantly ancillary arguments giving weight to other Convention-based considerations and it is not applied as a self-standing standard.

Extradition Between European and African Countries: Overcoming the Challenges

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-319
Author(s):  
Jamil Ddamulira Mujuzi
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Criminal Court ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Criminal Proceedings ◽  
African Countries ◽  
European Court ◽  
Real Risk ◽  
Civil Proceedings ◽  
The Right

Although EU states use the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) for the purpose of surrendering a person who is accused of committing an offence or who has been convicted of an offence, they use extradition when dealing with countries outside the EU. However, they use surrender when dealing with the International Criminal Court (ICC). Thus, extradition is one of the ways in which African and European countries (especially EU members) are cooperating in the fight against crime. Case law from courts in some African and European countries and from the European Court of Human Rights, the Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture, shows that extraditions between African and European countries have been delayed or hampered by allegations of human rights violations in the requesting state. These allegations have focused on mainly two rights: the right to a fair trial and the right to freedom from torture. The European Court of Human Rights has held that the extradition of a person should not go ahead if his or her trial was or will amount to a flagrant denial of justice or where there is a real risk of being subjected to torture. Although African courts and international human rights bodies have also held that extradition should not go ahead where there is a real risk that the person will be subjected to torture or where his/her trial will be unfair, they have not adopted the ‘flagrant denial of justice’ test. The case law also shows that some people have challenged the legal basis for their extradition. This article highlights this case law and suggests ways in which some of the challenges associated with extradition could be overcome. The article demonstrates that courts in some African and European countries have considered the nature of extradition enquiries. In some countries, such as Kenya, courts have held that extradition enquiries are criminal proceedings. However, in the United Kingdom, courts have held that extradition enquiries are criminal proceedings of a special type. There is consensus that extradition enquiries are not civil proceedings.

Psychiatric commitment: over 50 years of case law from the European Court of Human Rights

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 427-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Niveau ◽  
J. Materi
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
European Court ◽  
Right To Information ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Respective Number

AbstractPurposeTo extensively review the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case law concerning psychiatric commitment, and to estimate the role of this supranational jurisprudence in the practice of contemporary psychiatry.MethodUsing keywords to search the ECHR computerized database “HUDOC”, we reviewed all cases concerning psychiatric commitment registered between September 1953 and December 31, 2004. Four groups were identified: applications declared inadmissible; applications accepted but not judged by the Court; pending cases; and cases judged by the Court.ResultsOf the almost 118,000 decisions taken by the ECHR in this time frame, we found 108 situations concerning psychiatric commitment. Forty-one of these applications were considered by the Court to be inadmissible. Twenty-four other cases were considered admissible but not judged by the ECHR. Three admissible cases were still pending at the end of 2004. The ECHR judged 40 cases, and found in 35 of them that one or several rights as guaranteed by the Convention had been violated.DiscussionThe ECHR protects the human rights of persons subjected to involuntary psychiatric commitment by creating supranational law in the following areas: definition of “unsoundness of mind”; conditions of lawfulness of detention; right to a review of detention by a Court; right to information; right to respect for private and family life; and conditions of confinement, which address inhuman and degrading treatment. The respective number of applications submitted to the ECHR did not depend on when the Convention had entered into force in that country.ConclusionThe possibility of an individual to access the ECHR depends on the degree of democracy in his country and on the access to legal assistance through non-governmental organizations or individual intervening parties.

Case-law of the European Court of Human Rights in juvenile cases. Selected cases

2019 ◽  
Vol 584 (9) ◽  
pp. 18-32
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Czyż
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Young Person ◽  
Fair Trial ◽  
European Countries ◽  
European Court ◽  
Court Proceedings ◽  
The Right ◽  
Procedural Rights ◽  
Entire Procedure

The right to a fair trial, rules on deprivation of liberty are important standards in the entire procedure of dealing with juveniles, from detention to the end of court proceedings. The judgments of the European Court of Human Rights cited in the article illustrate what are the problems with complying with this standard in practice in several European countries, including Poland. It seems that one of the reasons may be declarative, apparent treatment of the rights of child/juvenile, especially when it concerns procedural rights. Teaching a young person respect for the law and responsibility for his behaviour requires subjective treatment so that he can feel, on his own example, the operation of a system based on clear, predictable, understandable rules.

scholarly journals Victim Participation in the Criminal Justice System in the European Union through Private Prosecutions: Issues Emerging from the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 107-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamil Ddamulira Mujuzi
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Criminal Justice System ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Case Law ◽  
European Countries ◽  
The European Union ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Right

Private prosecutions are one of the ways through which crime victims in many European countries participate in the criminal justice system. However, there seems to be a reluctance at the Council of Europe level to strengthen a victim’s right to institute a private prosecution. In a 1985 Recommendation, the Committee of Ministers stated that ‘[t]he victim should have the right to ask for a review by a competent authority of a decision not to prosecute, or the right to institute private proceeding.’ Later in 2000 in the Recommendation Rec (2000)19 on the role of public prosecution in the criminal justice system, the Committee of Ministers calls upon Member States to ‘authorise’ victims to institute private prosecutions. Directive 2012/29/eu of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 is silent on private prosecutions. The dg Justice Guidance Document related to the transposition and implementation of Directive 2012/29/eu of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 discourages private prosecutions. However, private prosecutions take part in many European countries. It is thus important to highlight some of the issues that have emerged from different European countries on the issue of private prosecutions. Case law from the European Court of Human Rights shows that private prosecutions take place in many European countries. This article, based on case law of the European Court of Human Rights, highlights the following issues with regards to private prosecutions: the right to institute a private prosecution; who may institute a private prosecution? private prosecution after state declines to prosecute; state intervention in a private prosecution; and private prosecution as a domestic remedy which has to be exhausted before a victim of crime approaches the European Court of Human Rights. The author argues that there is a need to recognise the right to private prosecution at the European Union level.

Access to a Court in Matters Concerning Disputes of an Individual with the Public Administration in the Republic of Poland vs. the Standards of the Council of Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-125
Author(s):  
Ewa Wójcicka
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Judicial Review ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
European Court ◽  
Protection Of Human Rights ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Republic ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

Summary This paper focuses specifically on the fundamental part of the right to a fair trial, namely access to a court. The aim of this article is an attempt to analyse the difference between the requirements of European standards and how they are reflected in Polish legislation. First of all, I am going to analyze basic European standards specified in Article 6(1) of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, Recommendation Rec(2004)20 on the judicial review of administrative acts and in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Then I will focus on selected aspects of the problem of judicial review of administrative acts specified in the Act of 30th August 2002 Law on Proceedings before Administrative Courts. I will discuss several specific topics from this field, which can be considered as crucial in relation to access to court, namely: definition of terms for access to justice by an individual, exhausting administrative remedies before judicial review, locus standi and legal aid.

Psychiatric commitment: Over 50 years of case law from the European Court of Human Rights

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Niveau ◽  
J. Materi
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Legal Assistance ◽  
European Court ◽  
Degrading Treatment ◽  
Right To Information ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Respective Number

AbstractPurposeTo extensively review the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) case law concerning psychiatric commitment, and to estimate the role of this supranational jurisprudence in the practice of contemporary psychiatry.MethodUsing keywords to search the ECHR computerised database “HUDOC”, we reviewed all cases concerning psychiatric commitment registered between September 1953 and December 31, 2004. Four groups were identified: applications declared inadmissible; applications accepted but not judged by the Court; pending cases; and cases judged by the Court.ResultsOf the almost 118,000 decisions taken by the ECHR in this time frame, we found 108 situations concerning psychiatric commitment. 41 of these applications were considered by the Court to be inadmissible. 24 other cases were considered admissible but not judged by the ECHR. Three admissible cases were still pending at the end of 2004. The ECHR judged 40 cases, and found in 35 of them that one or several rights as guaranteed by the Convention had been violated.DiscussionThe ECHR protects the human rights of persons subjected to involuntary psychiatric commitment by creating supranational law in the following areas: definition of “unsoundness of mind”; conditions of lawfulness of detention; right to a review of detention by a Court; right to information; right to respect for private and family life; and conditions of confinement, which address inhuman and degrading treatment.The respective number of applications submitted to the ECHR did not depend on when the Convention had entered into force in that country.ConclusionThe possibility of an individual to access the ECHR depends on the degree of democracy in his country and on the access to legal assistance through non-governmental organisations or individual intervening parties.

scholarly journals Mixed Signals of Europeanization: Revisiting the NPD Decision in Light of the European Court of Human Rights' Jurisprudence

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 817-844
Author(s):  
Lasse Schuldt
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Constitutional Amendment ◽  
Human Rights Law ◽  
European Court ◽  
Federal Constitutional ◽  
German Standard ◽  
European Standards ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
German Constitutional Law ◽  
German Federal Constitutional

The Article revisits the German Federal Constitutional Court's NPD decision and the concept of militant democracy regarding party bans in German constitutional law. It argues that the Court's new definition of the free democratic basic order approximates its jurisprudence to the standards developed by the European Court of Human Rights. The Article also compares the German and European standards for party bans. It assesses the respective required risks for democracy that a party needs to pose in order to justify a party ban. In this respect, it is argued that the German standard—though elevated—still falls short of the threshold under European human rights law. Finally, the NPD's anti-constitutional—but not unconstitutional—character is examined, and a recent constitutional amendment to exclude extremist political parties from party financing is evaluated.

Religious Associations as a National Security Threat: The Russian View in Light of European Standards

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 101-133
Author(s):  
Olga Kudriashova
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
National Security ◽  
Case Law ◽  
European Convention ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
Traditional Religions ◽  
European Court ◽  
Relevant Case ◽  
Religious Associations ◽  
European Standards

This article focuses on the Russian practice of suppressing non-traditional religious associations under the guise of protecting national security. Russian legislation and case law are discussed in light of European standards concerning limitations of human rights, including the principles of legal certainty and proportionality. The author concludes that despite the declaration of the principle of ideological diversity and religious freedom in the Constitution of the Russian Federation (hereinafter, “the rf Constitution”), Russian lawmakers and the judiciary are wary of non-traditional religions, regarding them as a national security threat. This tendency is demonstrated by an analysis of registration requirements, as well as the country’s anti-extremism law and the relevant case law. The author examines the following problems of Russian regulation: the vagueness of the law on which the limitations are based and the weak argumentation of judicial decisions by which limitations are imposed. The author concludes that Russian legislation and the relevant case law strongly deviate from the standards set in the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (echr) and in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Meanwhile, according to the rf Constitution, the echr is part of the Russian legal system and prevails over Russian laws. The author’s aim is to outline the space provided in Russian law for the abuse of non-traditional religions by Russian authorities.

Some Constitutional Thoughts about the Islamic Full Veil Ban in Europe

ICL Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benito Aláez Corral
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Public Space ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Public Institutions ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
European Countries ◽  
European Court ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Right

AbstractThis work deals critically with the Islamic full veil ban in public spaces, that is start­ing to be adopted in some European countries and is being echoed in some regulations in Spanish municipalities. After a brief analysis of the general bans recently passed in Belgium and France and of the partial bans adopted in schools by other countries, like Germany, Ita­ly or the UK, the article analyses the constitutionality of the recently approved municipal bans in Spain from a constitutional perspective, including the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. The author reaches the conclusion that according to the Sp Const 1978 an adequate interpretation of the limitations to the freedom of religion and the right to one’s own image, involved when wearing an Islamic full veil, would make a general ban on the full veil in each and every public space unconstitutional, but would allow its partial ban regarding the access to municipal buildings or services or regarding teachers and pupils at schools, as far as these partial bans could be justified by constitutional values like safeguarding of public institutions or services, or protecting the fundamental rights of others. `

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