scholarly journals Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina With Particular Emphasis to the Enjoyment of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Author(s):  
Ljubinko Mitrović

Human rights and fundamental freedoms are the inherent rights of every human being on the planet, they are, as a rule, universal, indivisible and inalienable. Human rights are there, around and between us, every day and every moment of that day. In addition to the state territory, the inhabitants populating that territory and the public authorities, human rights are nowadays an indispensable, fourth element of the state. It is the duty of every democratic state to protect the basic human rights and fundamental freedoms of every human being, without discrimination on any grounds: sex, race, color, property, origin, political or other opinion. In addition to civil and political rights, which are somehow always in the focus of observation of all of us (certainly because of their importance), human rights and freedoms of the second generation, i.e. economic, social and cultural rights, must not be neglected. These rights will be mostly in focus of this paper, and especially their status and implementation from the perspective of a special institution that deals with the promotion and protection of human rights - the Institution of the Human Rights Ombudsman of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (20) ◽  
pp. 23-29
Author(s):  
R. O. Nepyipa

The article analyzes the problems of implementation of the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights by Ukraine. In this context, too, the key problems and peculiarities of the current state of implementation of Ukraine’s judgments of the European Court of Human Rights are highlighted. It is emphasized that the enforcement of judgments by Ukraine is an important guarantee of ensuring the right to a fair trial. However, the lack of proper enforcement is recognized by the European Court of Human Rights as a violation of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It is emphasized that the problematic issue in the implementation of ECHR decisions is that the state executor, as a representative of the public authority, receives a salary from the State Budget of Ukraine, but is obliged, according to executive documents, to act against his state. Thanks to the planned reform of the State Bailiffs’ Service of Ukraine, it is envisaged to create a private system of enforcement of court decisions, since a non-governmental institution would not be more effective in this case. The problem of determining the location of the collector by the ECtHR is considered. It is suggested that in order to find out the location (location) of the collector, in accordance with the ECtHR decision, a special procedure should be provided, a list of necessary actions to be taken by a state body. In particular, such actions may be sending requests to the last known place of work. It is emphasized that legal and political risks for Ukraine are that the violating state may be subject to various sanctions, such as deprivation of voting rights or suspension of membership, up to and including exclusion from the Council of Europe. It is proved that the source of inefficient work of the executive service should be sought, first of all, in imperfect legal regulation, numerous legislative restrictions, and insufficient state costs for the implementation of ECtHR decisions. The experience of Germany on the practice of implementing ECtHR decisions is considered and it is proposed to borrow the experience of foreign countries in the current situation. It is noted that an important step of Ukraine towards European statehood is to increase the level of national protection of citizens and to adopt a law that provides for the accountability of public authorities and their officials for inaction in the implementation of ECtHR decisions. Keywords: European Court of Human Rights, Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, judgment, enforcement, general measures.


2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samo Bardutzky

On 22 December 2009, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (hereafter: the Court) issued a judgment on the applications filed by two citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr Dervo Sejdić and Mr Jakob Finci. It found a violation of their rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and under the Protocols to the Convention. Bosnia and Herzegovina had violated the applicants' rights under Article 14 of the Convention in conjunction with Article 3 of Protocol to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and under Article 1 of Protocol No. 12 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.


2003 ◽  
Vol 75 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 409-422
Author(s):  
Nikola Mihailović

A breach of any right or freedom under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, leads to but is not limited to liability of the State for damages. That liability is much stricter than the State liability for damage provided according to the domestic law provisions currently in force. The current provisions on State liability for the work of its judiciary do not include the damage caused by improper interpretation and application of the relevant legal provisions. In contrast, the liability of the Council of Europe Member States for the damage caused by their judicial and other authorities, through the breach of the human rights and fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Convention includes their liability for improper interpretation and application of the relevant provisions of the Convention. That liability is so strict that it in fact comes equal to no-fault liability, from the point of view of its legal consequences. This is so, although it is regulated only as a presumed liability for which there are no grounds of limitation. As a result, two systems of liability for damage caused by judicial authorities will exist in our State Union and in its member states, after the ratification of the aforementioned Convention: liability pursuant to the domestic legal provisions and liability pursuant to the Convention. For that reason, a reform of the provisions on liability is necessary, which will lead to tightening of liability for damage caused by judiciary pursuant to the domestic rules. How to achieve this is a separate issue, which will not be discussed on this occasion.


Author(s):  
Nigel Rodley

This chapter considers the background to, and current developments concerning the manner in which international law has engaged with the protection of human rights, including both civil and political rights and economic, social, and cultural rights. It looks at historical, philosophical, and political factors which have shaped our understanding of human rights and the current systems of international protection. It focuses on the systems of protection developed by and through the United Nations through the ‘International Bill of Rights’, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN human rights treaties and treaty bodies, and the UN Special Procedures as well as the work of the Human Rights Council. It also looks at the systems of regional human rights protection which have been established.


1968 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 889-908 ◽  
Author(s):  
José A. Cabranes

On December 16, 1966, the General Assembly approved three agreements designed to establish a global system of enforceable treaty obligations with respect to fundamental human rights. These agreements are the second part of the “international bill of rights” proposed at the San Francisco Conference. Eighteen years separated the adoption of these agreements—the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights—and the approval in 1948 of the first part of the projected United Nations program for the protection of human rights, the non-binding Universal declaration of Human Rights.


2021 ◽  
pp. 28-31
Author(s):  
Maryna HRYTSENKO

The European Court of Human Rights, which focuses on the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, points to the importance of the prohibition of torture. The Court has formed its position based on the importance of Article 3 of the Convention and, consequently, the inadmissibility of the evidence obtained in violation of that article by the prosecution. This paper analyzes the practice of the European Court of Human Rights on the implementation of evidence-based activities in national legal systems, and in particular examines the requirements of the Court on the admissibility of evidence-based exercise and activity obtained in the course of work results. The paper demonstrates the ECHR's practice on the issue of torture in obtaining evidence and the consequences of using such a «method», its significance for the practice of national courts and the modernization of the position of courts in relation to the dynamics of this issue. As a result, problematic areas of Ukrainian legislation and justice were identified. The reasons for the use of torture by the authorities and the safeguards introduced by Ukraine to combat the use of such inhuman treatment by the authorities were identified. Changes in the opinion of the European Court of Human Rights on this issue and its significance for Ukraine are analyzed. The possibilities of application of the ECHR for evaluation of admissibility of evidence in criminal proceedings in Ukraine are examined. The patterns characterizing the legal positions of the ECHR in assessing the admissibility of evidence are discovered and singled out. Ukraine should take into account that the responsibilities of the state, in addition to refraining from the use of torture to obtain evidence, include the protection of people from these encroachments by third parties.


Author(s):  
V.M. Zavhorodnia ◽  
A.S. Naumov

The paper examines the preconditions for the conclusion, significance and consequences of the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also known as the Dayton Agreement between the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Four plans for peace achievement are considered, in which the International Community had consistently sought to resolve the Bosnian conflict in 1992-1995. The process of concluding a unique international document that not only put an end to the bloody interethnic confrontation and established new foundations for relations between the three Balkan countries, but defined the principles of the constitutional order of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina is examined. The authors analyze the ambiguous scientific and political assessments of the Dayton Agreement, ranging from unequivocal approval to sharp criticism, and the reasons for the success of the Dayton Process, including joining the U.S. negotiation process and ensuring compliance with NATO’s commitment to violators. The risks inherent in the Dayton Agreement in the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina are also identified. The problem of the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of the Dayton Agreement is vital for the post-Yugoslav space. Despite the declared principle of equality of citizens, in fact, political human rights in the country directly depend on ethnicity, and public authorities are based on the principle of national representation. The sovereignty and independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina raise a number of issues, given their control by International bodies. An analysis of historical experience convincingly shows that the Dayton Accords can only be seen as a temporary mechanism for resolving the crisis and easing tensions, which has made it possible to achieve peace, end ethnic discord and lay the foundations for a democratic system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recognizing the effectiveness of the Dayton Agreement, the authors argue that some of its provisions do not comply with generally accepted principles of International Law, in particular, in terms of the territorial organization of the state and the formation of public authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This approach does not comply with the principle of equality of human rights, regardless of race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other beliefs, national or social origin, property status, birth or other circumstances. It is also undeniable that the Dayton Accords did not resolve the interethnic conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The paper also seeks to identify ways to address the Bosnian crisis in the current situation in Ukraine, given the annexation of Crimea and the protracted military conflict in Donbas, and to determine the admissibility and potential limits of external intervention in military conflicts.


The article is devoted to the study of such sources of electoral law in Ukraine as the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the first Protocol to the Convention and the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights. The legal nature of these international sources of suffrage in Ukraine is considered. Attention is drawn to the peculiarities of the wording of the right to free election in Article 3 the first Protocol to the Convention. The peculiarities of the application of the above article by the European Court of Human Rights are disclosed. The importance the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights as a source of suffrage in Ukraine is emphasized. This assertion is justified by the fact that the rules of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its Protocols are of a general and abstract nature and are interpreted and filled with real meaning in judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, which are of precedent nature. A number of legal positions of the European Court of Human Rights concerning the obligation of the state to organize and hold democratic elections, enshrined in the specific decisions of this international judicial institution, have been analyzed. In the article were covered such legal positions as: the possibility of limiting the suffrage of citizens, provided that such conditions do not interfere with the free expression of the people's opinion on the election of the legislative body; evaluation of the electoral legislation in the light of the political development of the country, taking into account national characteristics; wide discretion of the state in the choice of the electoral system, which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the people, etc. There are a number of unresolved issues regarding the application of the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights in judicial and administrative practice in Ukraine, one of which is the possible conflict between the case-law of the Court and the rules of Ukrainian law. It is proposed to resolve this conflict at the legislative level. The conclusions focus on the peculiarities of the legal nature of these sources of suffrage in Ukraine. KEY WORDS: sources of suffrage, Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, right to free elections.


2021 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-45
Author(s):  
Alvine Longla Boma

Civil Society organisations play key roles in African countries. This is not an exception in the Cameroonian dispensation. Indeed, the existence and operation of civil societies in this jurisdiction is legitimated by a 1990 law allowing the free formation of associations. Even though the state has the primary obligation to promote and protect human rights, there also exists a plethora of associations with the same interest. This paper is motivated by the state’s wanton failure in ensuring the enjoyment and fulfilment of the right. For one thing, the state has maintained a stronghold on the Civil Society through legislation which gives public authorities a leverage over human rights defenders. Moreover, an analysis of existing legal and institutional frameworks available to allow human rights non-governmental organisations thrive, leaves much to be desired. Findings reveal that though there are adequate laws and institutions which ensure the creation and functioning of Civil Society organisations in Cameroon, there are also contradictory laws which give the public authority an edge over these organisations and allow them to sanction the activities of some human rights defenders under the guise of maintaining public order. We argue that there should be adequate protection offered to human rights defenders as well as the relaxation of laws permitting public authorities to illegally sanction the activities of relevant non-governmental organisations.


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