Grand Chamber hearing concerning Switzerland
16/06/2021
The Court held a Grand Chamber hearing in the case of B. v. Switzerland.
In this case the applicant complained about the termination of the widow's pension he was receiving, as the Federal Law on Old-Age and Survivors' Insurance provides that entitlement to a widower’s pension ends when the youngest child reaches the age of 18, whereas this is not the case for a widow.
COVID-19
The French authorities have introduced a number of restrictions in the framework of the COVID-19 public-health crisis. The Court, while complying with the public-health measures adopted by our host State, in particular by prioritising teleworking and electronic communications, is continuing all its activities in accordance with the usual rules. Unlike during the previous lockdown periods, no special arrangements have been made in respect of procedures and time-limits.
Grand Chamber
-
Judgment concerning Austria
15/06/2021
In the case of Kurt v. Austria, the Court found no violation of the Convention.
The applicant had submitted that the Austrian authorities had failed to protect her and her two children from her violent husband, the children’s father, about whom she had complained to the police for domestic violence and who had killed their son before committing suicide.
In that case the Court ruled that the information available to the Austrian authorities at the material time had not pointed to any real and immediate risk of an attempt on the children’s lives, and the authorities had ordered appropriate measures to prevent a risk of renewed violence against them. In that case the authorities had not delayed or remained inert vis-à-vis the applicant’s allegations of domestic violence.
In this case the Court clarified the general principles to be applied in cases of domestic violence for the first time.
Webcast of the hearing (17/06/2020)
...
Chamber
-
Judgment concerning Turkey
15/06/2021In the case of Melike v. Turkey the Court found a violation of freedom of expression.
The applicant, a contractual employee at the Ministry of Education had been dismissed in 2016 for having “liked” specific contents on Facebook which the authorities had considered liable to disrupt order and peace in her workplace.
The Court considered that the use of the expression “I like” on the social media was a common and popular mode of exercise of freedom of expression online.
...
Official Visit
-
Visit by a delegation from the German Federal Constitutional Court
17/06/2021
A delegation from the German Federal Constitutional Court, headed by its President, Stefan Harbarth, paid a working visit to the ECHR on 17 June 2021. The visiting judges took part in roundtable discussions with Judges and Registrars of the Court.
... -
Visit by the Section President at the French Council of State
16/06/2021
On 15 June 2021, Christophe Chantepy, Section President at the French Council of State, was received by President Robert Spano. Síofra O’Leary, Section President and Judge elected in respect of Ireland, Mattias Guyomar, Judge elected in respect of France, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
...
Decision
-
Inadmissibility decision
17/06/2021The Court has declared inadmissible the application in the case of Galan v. Italy.
The case concerned the applicant’s forfeiture of his electoral seat as a member of parliament on account of a finding by Parliament that there was a ground of ineligibility following a conviction for corruption.
The Court considered that the immediate application of the disqualification from standing as an electoral candidate had been consistent with the legislature’s stated aim, namely to exclude persons convicted of serious offences from Parliament and thus to protect the integrity of the democratic process. This disqualification from standing as a candidate in elections could not be regarded as arbitrary or disproportionate.
...
Events
-
4th SCN Forum
14/06/2021
The fourth Superior Courts Network Forum took place on Friday 11 June 2021, in a hybrid format. Attended by 73 member courts, the Forum focused on Case Management and Case-Law Consistency: National and ECHR perspectives.
...
Delivered Judgments & Decisions
17/06/2021
15/06/2021
Forthcoming Judgments & Decisions
22-24/06/2021