Freedom of expression and Islam: Charlie Hebdo’s lessons

Author(s):  
Dmytro V. Lukianov ◽  
Volodymyr M. Steshenko ◽  
Hanna P. Ponomarova

This article studies specifics of Islamic understanding of freedom of expression and significant differences between Islamic and European understanding of that concept. Freedom of expression is recognized in Islam; however, it has significant and deeply-rooted peculiarities. In particular, Islam strictly prohibits imaging Prophet Muhammad, let alone making cartoons of him. For instance, from the perspective of Muslims, imaging Prophet Muhammad as a dog is extremely cynical, since a dog in Islam is an unclean animal inadvisable to contact with. Also, there is long-established perception of humour and its admissibility in Islam. For example, under Islamic law one shall not tell lies or scare another person; one shall not joke with an older person, a teacher, a scientist, a manager, a person who does not understand jokes, an unknown man or woman; a joke shall not be offensive or degrading a man or a family; one shall not joke about prohibited issues, tell dirty stories, disclose intimate details, resort to insults or slander. The article points out that Europeans perceive drawing cartoons of the Prophet as freedom of expression. However, in the eyes of Muslims such cartoons constitute violation of a number of prohibitions existing in Islam and therefore deeply insult their religious and cultural feelings. Such insults may cause religious conflicts with many victims, like the one that happened in the January of 2015 in the office of Charlie Hebdo French satirical weekly newspaper. To prevent similar and even more terrible tragedies in the future and release tension between Europeans and Muslims, primarily in Europe, the article explores the legal framework and conditions for restriction of freedom of expression set out in universal international law, the European Convention on Human Rights and relevant case-law of the ECHR. The set of the general and specific scientific methods of research were used by the authors according to the subject and scope of the study: sociological, statistical, dialectical, formal stylistic, axiological, hermeneutic, systemic, comparative legal method etc.

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-173
Author(s):  
Tamara Gerasimenko

The subject. The article is devoted to the subject of the exhaustion of domestic remediesbefore filing a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights.The purpose. The purpose of this article is to show and reveal the characteristics of suchimportant condition of lodging a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights asthe exhaustion of domestic remedies.The methodology. The following scientific methods have been used to write this article:analysis, comparing and making conclusions.Results, scope of application. The right of individual petition is rightly considered to be thehallmark and the greatest achievement of the European Convention on Human Rights. Individualswho consider that their human rights have been violated have the possibility oflodging a complaint before the European Court of Human Rights. However, there are importantadmissibility requirements set out in the Convention that must be satisfied beforea case be examined. Applicants are expected to have exhausted their domestic remediesand have brought their complaints within a period of six months from the date of the finaldomestic decision. The obligation to exhaust domestic remedies forms part of customaryinternational law, recognized as such in the case – law of the International Court of Justice.The rationale for the exhaustion rule is to give the national authorities, primarily the courts,the opportunity to prevent or put right the alleged violation of the Convention. The domesticlegal order should provide an effective remedy for violations of Convention rights.Conclusions. The rule of exhaustion of domestic remedies is an important part of the functioningof the protection system under the Convention and its basic principle. 


Author(s):  
Elena Yur'evna Eseva

This article explores the problem of exercising the constitutional guarantee of the freedom of labor. Analysis is conducted on the current Russian legislation in comparison with the legislation of the Soviet period in the area of regulation of questions of the freedom of labor. Functionality of the institution of the freedom of labor is viewed on the practice of Russian reality and its compliance with the norms of international law. The questions of the freedom of labor are also examined in a number of foreign countries. The author reveals the flaws in the Russian legal framework on the subject matter, and makes recommendations for amending the current legislation. Research methodology leans on the comparative-legal method, as well as such general scientific methods as historical, linguistic and others. The scientific novelty of this article is defined by the absence within the domestic legal science of comprehensive legal research of the entirety of problems related to constitutional guarantee of the freedom of labor. An attempt is made to carry out a comparative study of the international normative regulation of relations in the area of the freedom of work with the norms established in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léon E Dijkman

Abstract Germany is one of few jurisdictions with a bifurcated patent system, under which infringement and validity of a patent are established in separate proceedings. Because validity proceedings normally take longer to conclude, it can occur that remedies for infringement are imposed before a decision on the patent’s validity is available. This phenomenon is colloquially known as the ‘injunction gap’ and has been the subject of increasing criticism over the past years. In this article, I examine the injunction gap from the perspective of the right to a fair trial enshrined in Art. 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights. I find that the case law of the European Court of Human Rights interpreting this provision supports criticism of the injunction gap, because imposing infringement remedies with potentially far-reaching consequences before the validity of a patent has been established by a court of law arguably violates defendants’ right to be heard. Such reliance on the patent office’s grant decision is no longer warranted in the light of contemporary invalidation rates. I conclude that the proliferation of the injunction gap should be curbed by an approach to a stay of proceedings which is in line with the test for stays as formulated by Germany’s Federal Supreme Court. Under this test, courts should stay infringement proceedings until the Federal Patent Court or the EPO’s Board of Appeal have ruled on the validity of a patent whenever it is more likely than not that it will be invalidated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (83) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Carmen Adriana Domocos

The Romanian legislation establishes in the new penal procedure law the right to silence and the right of non-incrimination of the defendant in the criminal trial.The right to silence (to remain silent) is the implicit procedural guarantee of the right to a fair trial, which results from the case law of the European Court of Justice within the meaning of Article 6 paragraph 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, according to which judicial authorities cannot oblige a perpetrator (suspected of having committed a criminal offence), a suspect or a defendant to make statements, while having, however, a limited power to draw conclusions against them, from their refusal to make statements.Therefore, the right to silence involves not only the right not to testify against oneself, but also the right of the suspect or defendant not to incriminate oneself. The suspect or defendant cannot be compelled to assist in the production of evidence and cannot be sanctioned for failing to provide certain documents or other evidence. Obligation to testify against personal will, under the constraint of a fine or any other form of coercion constitutes an interference with the negative aspect of the right to freedom of expression which must be necessary in a democratic Romanian society.The right not to contribute to one’s own incrimination (the privilege against self-incrimination) is the implicit procedural guarantee of the right to a fair trial, which results from the case law of the European Court of Justice within the meaning of Article 6 paragraph 1 of the European Convention, according to which judicial bodies or any other state authority cannot oblige a perpetrator (suspected of having committed a criminal offence), a suspect, a defendant or a witness to cooperate by providing evidence which might incriminate him or which could constitute the basis for a new criminal charge. It is essential to clarify certain issues as far as this right is concerned.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Ángel Vázquez Ruiz

Resumen:El proceso de globalización de los procesos económicos, a primera vista sugiere un mundo de dimensiones homogéneas, muy interrelacionado entre sí y con igualdad de oportunidades de desarrollo para todos los países. Pero la realidad se desenvuelve en otra lógica: la globalización impulsa dinámicas muy segmentadas, donde el mundo vive las paradojas de la conformación de bloques regionales entre países y de regiones diferenciadas al interior de estos. En este sentido, uno de los espacios donde en la actualidad, por una razón u otra, se dan relaciones peculiares, son las fronterizas. Hay países donde los vínculos fronterizos se expresan como conflictos étnicos y religiosos; en cambio en otros, las conexiones más importantes son de índole económica y demográfica. Este es el caso de la frontera entre México y Estados Unidos, espacio donde se reproduce una de las relaciones binacionales más intensas entre países. En el presente artículo, se pretende avanzar en hacer una relectura de la frontera norte de México y sur de Estados Unidos, considerándola una región integrada por dos subregiones: la estadounidense y la mexicana. Para ello, se pasa revista a los más importantes enfoques teóricos para entender esa realidad, y se propone su revisión a la luz de las constantes modificaciones en ésta, que conducen a agotamientos muy rápidos en los "paradigmas" de análisis que cada autor del tema utiliza. Este planteamiento se documenta con la aportación de elementos cuantitativos y cualitativos acerca de las partes que configuran la región y, particularmente, se destacan las distintas modalidades de corredores económicos como medios de vinculación entre las "subregiones". Se plantea también reflexionar acerca de aspectos poco estudiados en estas últimas, como sería el perfil de los actores empresariales, básico para entender sus niveles de competitividad en la globalización a partir de una plataforma regional.Palabras clave: Globalización, Zonas fronterizas, Frontera México-Estados Unidos, Corredores económicos, Economía fronteriza.Abstract:The globalization of economic processes, at first sight, suggests a very inter- related world of homogenous dimensions, with equal opportunities of development for all countries. But reality comes about with another logic: globalization furthers very segmented dynamics, where the world experiences the paradox of the establishment of regional blocks among countries and regions that are differentiated within such blocks. In this sense, border areas are one of the spaces where presently, due to one reason or another, peculiar relations occur. There are countries where border ties are expressed as ethnic and religious conflicts, whereas, there are others, in which the most important connections are of an economic and demographic nature. This is the case of the Mexico-US border, space where one of the most intense binational relations between countries takes place. This article intends to review Mexico?s northern border and the United States southern border, considering it a region integrated by two subregions: the one of the United States and the one of Mexico. For such purpose, the most important theoretical approaches is reviewed in order to understand said reality. Its review is proposed in view of its constant modifications that lead to very fast depletions in the "paradigms" of analysis used by each author who writes about the subject. This statement is documented with the contribution of qualitative and quantitative elements about the parts that form the region, particularly underscoring the different modalities of economic corridors as means to link the "subregions". Statements are also made that lead to reflect on aspects that have been little studied in the latter, such as the pro file of the business actors, that is basic to understand their levels of competitiveness in globalization as of a regional platform .Key words: Globalization, Borderlines, USA-Mexico borderline, Economic corridors, Borderline economics.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-492
Author(s):  
Wojciech Sadurski

Allegro – Trademark protection – Freedom of speech vs. intellectual property – Polish Constitution – European Convention on Human Rights – Balancing of competing values – Constitutionally permissible limits on freedom of expression – Comparison with case-law of United States Supreme Court – ‘Categorical’ approach vs. ‘balancing’ approach


1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 610
Author(s):  
Andrew S Butler

This article is a book review of Stephanos Stavros The Guarantees for Accused Persons under Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights: An Analysis of the Application of the Convention and a Comparison with Other Instruments (Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, 1993) 388 pp (including 3 appendices), price (hbk) £87.00. This book is a detailed analysis of the case law of the organs of the European Convention on Human Rights on the interpretation and application of Article 6 of the Convention. That article guarantees fair trial rights in the determination of criminal charges and in the determination of civil rights and obligations. The scope of Dr Stavros' study is the rights of an accused under Article 6. Butler praises Dr Stavros for being thorough in his treatment of both case law and international law, providing a closely argued critique alongside the law presented, and for his general enthusiasm for the subject matter (reflected in the book's readability). Despite its limitations, Butler commends this book's high standard of scholarship overall.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Nedim Begović

Abstract The article analyses the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on accommodation of Islamic observances in the workplace. The author argues that the Court has not hitherto provided adequate incentives to the states party to the European Convention on Human Rights to accommodate the religious needs of Muslim employees in the workplace. Given this finding, the author proposes that the accommodation of Islam in the workplace should, as a matter of priority, be provided within a national legal framework. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this could be achieved through an instrument of contracting agreement between the state and the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.


Author(s):  
Bernadette Rainey ◽  
Elizabeth Wicks ◽  
Andclare Ovey

This chapter examines the protection of the freedom of expression in the European Convention on Human Rights, discusses the provisions of Article 10, and explains that the majority of cases concerning Article 10 are brought by persons who have received some penalty for defaming or insulting other people. It analyses what constitutes an interference with free expression and considers the limitations on freedom of expression. The chapter also examines the judgments made by the Strasbourg Court on several related cases, including those that involved incitement to violence and hate speech, obscenity, and blasphemy. It also covers the development of case-law concerning social media and the internet.


Author(s):  
Bernadette Rainey ◽  
Elizabeth Wicks ◽  
Clare Ovey

Nearly seventy years after the founding of the European Court of Human Rights it has dispensed more than 20,000 judgments and affects the lives of over 800 million people. The seventh edition of Jacobs, White & Ovey: The European Convention on Human Rights provides an analysis of this area of the law. Examining each of the Convention rights in turn, this book lays out the key principles. Updated with all the significant developments of the previous three years, it offers a synthesis of commentary and carefully selected case-law, focusing on the European Convention itself rather than its implementation in any one Member State. Part 1 of the book looks at institutions and procedures, including the context, enforcement, and scope of the Convention. Part 2 examines Convention rights in terms of many aspects, including rights to remedy, rights to life, prohibition of torture, protection from slavery and forced labour, and family and private life. Part 2 also examines the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion; the freedom of expression; and the freedom of assembly and association. The rights to education and elections are considered towards the end of Part 2, as are the freedoms of movement and from discrimination. Part 3 reflects on the achievements and criticisms of the Court and examines the prospects and challenges facing the Court in the present political climate and in the future.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document