Conflicting human rights: An exploration in the context of the right to a fair trial in the European Convection for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms

Human Rights Quarterly

Volumn 27, Issue 1, 2005, Pages 294-326

  Brems, Eva ^a  

^a GHENT UNIVERSITY   (Belgium)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

HUMAN RIGHTS; LEGAL SYSTEM; LEGISLATION;

EASTERN HEMISPHERE; EURASIA; EUROPE; WORLD;

EID: 15744381048     PISSN: 02750392     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (143)

1. European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, opened for signature 4 Nov. 1950, 213 U.N.T.S. 221, art. 6 1-3, Europ. T.S. No. 5 (entered into force 3 Sept. 1953), available at www.echr.coe.int/Convention/webConvenENG.pdf [hereinafter European Convention].
2. This is due in large part to the high number of cases dealing with the length of proceedings. For example, in 2002, the Court delivered 844 judgments, 471 of which dealt with length of proceedings essue. European Court of Human Rights, Surveys of Activities 2002, available at www.echr.coe.int/Eng/EDocs/2002SURVEY.pdf
3. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 6, 1-3.
4. See, e.g., ECHR, Engel a.o. v. Netherlands, 8 July 1975, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 22. All judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) are available in French and English in the HUDOC database on the ECHR website, available at www.echr.coe.int.
5. See, e.g., ECHR, Feldbrugge v. Netherlands, 29 May 1986, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 99.
6. Despite Article 6's broad scope, a number of procedures remain outside the Article's scope of application. The following cases are emblematic of the types of cases not reached by Article 6: ECHR, Ferrazzini v. Italy, 12 July 2001, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2001-VII (taxation case);
7. ECHR, Maaouia v. France, 5 Oct. 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2000-X (dispute concerning access to and expulsion from the territory);
8. ECHR, Pellegrin v. France, 8 Dec. 1999, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1999-VIII, 66 (exemplifying disputes raised by public servants relating to their authority and responsibility for protecting the general interests of the state or other public authorities).
9. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 6, 1.
10. ECHR, Dombo Beheer B.V. v. Netherlands, 27 Oct. 1993, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 274, 20.
11. See, e.g., ECHR, Barberà, Messegué and Jabardo v. Spain, 6 Dec. 1988, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 146, 78.
12. See, e.g., ECHR, Ekbatani v. Sweden, 26 May 1988, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 134, 33.
13. See, e.g., ECHR, Hadjianastassiou v. Greece, 16 Dec. 1992, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 252.
14. See, e.g., ECHR, Stran Greek Refineries and Stratis Andreadis v. Greece, 9 Dec. 1994, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 301-B.
15. See, e.g., ECHR, Funke v. France, 25 Feb. 1993, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 256-A.
16. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 8.
17. ECHR, Khan v. United Kingdom, 12 May 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2000-V, 32, 35.
18. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 6, 1.
19. Ibid. Id.
20. Ibid. Id.
21. See consistent case law of the Court, e.g., ECHR, Hadjikostova v. Bulgaria, 4 Dec. 2003, § 28 (unreported).
22. See European Court of Human Rights, supra note 2, at 23.
23. ECHR, Kudla v. Poland, 26 Oct. 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2000-XI, 160.
24. ECHR, Kudla v. Poland, 26 Oct. 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 200-XI, § 155.
25. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 6, 1.
26. ECHR, Golder v. United Kingdom, 21 Feb. 1975, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 18, 40.
27. ECHR, Hornsby v. Greece, 19 Mar. 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1997-11.
28. ECHR, Golder v. United Kingdom, 21 Feb. 1975, Publications of the Court, Series A, No. 18, § 35;
29. ECHR, Hornsby v. Greece, 19 Mar. 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1997-11, § 40.
30. "Everyone charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law." European Convention, supra note 1,art. 6, 2.
31. These articles include similarly phrased limitation clauses in their second paragraphs, allowing for restrictions of the rights involved that are in accordance with the law and necessary in a democratic society for the achievement of certain enumerated goals.
32. ECHR, B. & P. v. United Kingdom, 24 Apr. 2001, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2001-III.
33. Id. 15, 23, 29, 30.
34. Id. 39.
35. Id. 38.
36. International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, adopted 21 Dec. 1965, 660 U.N.T.S. 195, art. 4(a) (entered into force 4 Jan. 1969), reprinted in 51.L.M. 352 (1966).
37. ECHR, (Grand Chambers), Hatton a.o.v. United Kingdom, 8 July 2003, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2003-VIII, § 96.
38. ECHR, Chapman v. United Kingdom, 18 Jan. 2001, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2001-1, 71-74.
39. Id. 71-74.
40. ECHR, Laskey, Jaggard & Brown v. United Kingdom, 20 Jan. 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1997-1, 20.
41. ECHR, Pretty v. United Kingdom, 29 Apr. 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2002-III, 13.
42. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 8.
43. Id. art. 10.
44. The exception is situations leading to a severe infringement of another important interest that is not as such protected as a human right. See ECHR, Lucà, infra note 75.
45. Cf. Sébastien Van Drooghenbroek, La proportionnalité dans le droft de la convension eutopéenne des droits de l'homme: Prendre l'idée simple au sérieux 709 (2001).
46. For an overview, see Jack Donnelly, Universal Human Rights in Theory and Practice 37-45 (1989).
47. Donna J. Sullivan, Gender Equality and Religious Freedom: Toward a Framework for Conflict Resolution, 24 N.Y.U. J. Int'l L. & Pol. 795, 821-23 (1992).
48. Ibid. Id.
49. See, e.g., ECHR, Dudgeon v. United Kingdom, 22 Oct. 1981, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 45, 52.
50. Sullivan, supra note 46, at 821-23.
51. Ibid. Id.
52. Ibid. Id.
53. ECHR, Wynen v. Belgium, 5 Nov. 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2002-VIII.
54. The Court of Cassation is one of the highest courts in Belgium.
55. ECHR, Wynen, supra note 52, 22.
56. Id. Judgment of Court, 1.
57. ECHR, Wynen, supra note 52, 32.
58. Law of the European Convention on Human Rights 218 (David J. Harris et al. eds., 1995).
59. ECHR, Göç v. Turkey, 11 July 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2002-V, 47.
60. Id. at Joint Partly Dissenting Opinion of Judges Wildhaber, Costa, Ress, Türmen, Bîrsan, Jungwiert, Maruste, and Ugrekhelidze.
61. Id. Judgment of Court, 2, 50.
62. Id. Joint Partly Dissenting Opinion of Judges Wildhaber, Costa, Ress, Türmen, Bîrsan, Jungwiert, Maruste, and Ugrekhelidze.
63. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 6, 3(d).
64. See, e.g., ECHR, Lüdi v. Switzerland, 15 June 1992, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 238, 47.
65. See, e.g., ECHR, Unterpertinger v. Austria, 24 Nov. 1986, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 110, 31-33.
66. Cf. infra Pt. 2(C).
67. ECHR, Lucà v. Italy, 27 Feb. 2001, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2001-11, 14.
68. Id. 10-16.
69. Id. 41.
70. Id. 43, 44.
71. Id. 30.
72. Id. 34.
73. ECHR, Allenet de Ribemont v. France, 10 Feb. 1995, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 308, 35.
74. Ibid. Id.
75. Id. 10-12.
76. Id. 38. Later case law expanded on this reasoning, for example, by adding that "whether a statement of a public official is in breach of the presumption of innocence must be determined in the context of the particular circumstances in which the impugned statement was made." ECHR, Butkevicius v. Lithuania, 26 Mar. 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2002-II, 49. The Court also emphasized the importance of the choice of words by public officials in their statements before a person has been tried and found guilty of an offense. Id. This is particularly important at the beginning of the investigation, even before a criminal case is brought. Id. 51.
77. ECHR, Allenet de Ribemont, supra note 81, 41.
78. ECHR, News Verlags GmbH & Co.KG v. Austria, 11 Jan. 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2000-1.
79. Id. 13-21.
80. Id. 21, 26.
81. Id. 40.
82. Id. 28.
83. Id. 56.
84. Ibid. Id.
85. Id. 58.
86. Id. 59. See also ECHR, Du Roy and Malaurie v. France, 3 Oct. 2000, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2000-X, 11 34-37: An absolute prohibition to report in any way about a pending trial is a disproportionate restriction of the freedom of expression; ECHR, "Wirtschafts-Trend" Zeitschriftenverlagsgeselsschaft MBH v. Austria, 14 Nov. 2002: A prohibition in an early stage of the investigation to publish the name of the police officer involved in a lethal incident at the occasion of the expulsion of a foreigner does not violate the freedom of expression.
87. European Convention, supra note 1, art. 10, 2.
88. ECHR, Worm v. Austria, 29 Aug. 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1997-V.
89. Id. 11.
90. Id. Judgment of Court, 2
91. Id. 50. ECHR, Worm v. Austria, 29 Aug. 1997-V Judgment of Court
92. Id. 54. ECHR, Worm v. Austria, 29 Aug. 1997-V Judgment of Court
93. ECHR, Sunday Times (1) v. United Kingdom, 26 Apr. 1979, Publications of the Court, Series A, no. 30, Judgment of Court, 1.
94. Id, 63. ECHR, Sunday Times (1) v. United Kingdom, 26 Apr. Judgment of Court
95. ECHR, Worm, supra note 96, 53-54.
96. ECHR, Doorson v. Netherlands, 26 Mar. 1996, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1996-11, 67.
97. Id. 69.
98. Id. 70.
99. Id. 72-75.
100. Id. 72.
101. Id. 76.
102. Id. In this case, that condition was fulfilled because the Dutch Curt of Appeal explicitly stated that it had treated the statements of the anonymous witnesses "with the necessary caution and circumspection."
103. ECHR, Van Mechelen v. Netherlands, 23 Apr. 1997, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 1997-III, 58.
104. Id. However, no applications of this rule in other contexts were found.
105. Id. 61. Cf. ECHR, Visser v. Netherlands, 14 Feb. 2002, 47-48 (unreported).
106. ECHR, P.S. v. Germany, 20 Dec. 2001, 22-24 (unreported).
107. ECHR, S.N. v. Sweden, 2 July 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 2002-V, 47. This is less strict than the requirement that the rights of the defense can only be restricted to the extent that this is strictly necessary.
108. Id. 52.
109. Ibid. Id.
110. Id. 53.
111. Id. 46.
112. ECHR, P.S., supra note 116, 32.
113. Id. 9, 27.
114. Id. 28.
115. Id. 29.
116. Id. 31.
117. Belg. Const. art. 58. This immunity does not apply to expressions outside Parliament. In addition, Article 59 establishes general immunity from criminal prosecution for MPs during their term in office, except when the chamber to which he or she belongs has given permission or when the suspect is caught in flagrante delicto.
118. ECHR, A.v. United Kingdom, 17 Dec. 2002, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2002-X.
119. Id. 13.
120. Id. 18-20.
121. Id. 37-58.
122. Id. 74.
123. Id. 77.
124. Id. 78.
125. Id. 79.
126. Id. 80.
127. Id. 83.
128. Id. 85.
129. Id. 88.
130. Id. 86.
131. Id. 87.
132. ECHR, Cordova (1) v. Italy, 30 Jan. 2003, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2003-1;
133. ECHR, Cordova (2) v. Italy, 30 Jan. 2003, Reports of Judgments and Decisions, 2003-1 (extracts).
134. ECHR, Cordova (1), supra note 142, 14.
135. ECHR, Cordova (2), supra note 142, 11-12.
136. ECHR, Cordova (1), supra note 142, 58.
137. Id. 63.
138. See ECHR, Wynen, supra note 52, Partly Dissenting, Partly Concurring Opinion of Judge Lemmens.
139. See, e.g., ECHR, A., supra note 128.
140. Act of 8 Apr. 2002 on the Anonymity of Witnesses, Belgisch Staatsblad 31 May 2002.
141. See ECHR, Worm, supra note 96, 53, 54.
142. Id. Judgment of Court, 2;
143. ECHR, Göç;, supra note 62.