2023-2024
Human Rights Law
SAMENVATTING
SARAH VERHAEGEN
,Human Rights Law
Inhoud
Concept Human rights............................................................................................................................7
1. Terminology....................................................................................................................................7
2. Legal sources...................................................................................................................................7
3. Historical perspective......................................................................................................................9
4. (NO) Hierarchy................................................................................................................................9
Universal Protection (United Nations)....................................................................................................9
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights..........................................................................................9
2. Treaties.........................................................................................................................................10
3. Universal Mechanisms..................................................................................................................10
A. Treaty-based: Committees........................................................................................................11
B. Charter-based: political mechanism.........................................................................................11
C. Officer of the High Commissioner for Human Rights................................................................12
4. Illustrations...................................................................................................................................12
5. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................12
Regional Protection: Europe.................................................................................................................12
1. Introduction: Two Europes............................................................................................................12
2. Council of Europe: Legal sources..................................................................................................13
3. Council of Europe: Enforcement Mechanisms..............................................................................13
A. European Court of Human Rights.............................................................................................13
B. European Committee Social Rights (ECSR)................................................................................22
2. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................22
Regional Protection: European Union...................................................................................................23
1. EU Human Rights Sources.............................................................................................................23
A. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.................................................................................24
2. EU enforcement mechanisms.......................................................................................................25
A. Political Enforcement................................................................................................................25
B. Judicial Enforcement.................................................................................................................26
C. Relationship European Union and Counsil of Europe...............................................................27
4. Cases and question.......................................................................................................................27
Effect of Human Right Treaties in Belgium............................................................................................28
1. Relationship between legal orders: effect of treaties in Belgium..................................................28
2. Human Rights Protection in Belgium............................................................................................30
1
, 3. Execution of ECtHR judgments in Belgium....................................................................................31
Typology of Human Rights Obligations.................................................................................................32
1. Human Rights Treaties: interpreting open norms.........................................................................32
2. Typology of the State’s Obligations...............................................................................................34
A. Negative Obligations (obligation to respect).............................................................................35
B. Positive Obligations (obligation to protect and fulfill)...............................................................36
C. Derogable Rights in Times of Emergency ?...............................................................................39
3. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................40
Right to life...........................................................................................................................................41
1. Absolute Right..............................................................................................................................41
2. The scope......................................................................................................................................41
3. Obligations....................................................................................................................................43
A. Negative obligation...................................................................................................................43
B. Positive obligations...................................................................................................................44
4. Positive obligations.......................................................................................................................46
1. Protection against authorities...................................................................................................46
2. Protection against risks emanating from other individuals.......................................................46
3. Protection against yourself.......................................................................................................46
4. Minimal life conditions.............................................................................................................47
5. Procedural obligation: effective investigation...........................................................................47
Example Önyerildiz v. Turkey.........................................................................................................48
Example: da Silva v. VK..................................................................................................................49
5. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................52
Prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment..................................................................53
1. Absolute right...............................................................................................................................53
2. Applicability..................................................................................................................................54
3. Classification (Merits)...................................................................................................................54
4. Obligations....................................................................................................................................55
5. Attribution – burden of proof.......................................................................................................55
Example:police violence...................................................................................................................55
Example: corporal punishment children...........................................................................................58
Example: detention...........................................................................................................................58
Example: domestic violence against women....................................................................................60
Example: extradition foreigner.........................................................................................................61
6. Cases and question.......................................................................................................................63
Right to a fair trial.................................................................................................................................64
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, A. Applicability......................................................................................................................................64
1. General.........................................................................................................................................64
A. Determination of civil rights.....................................................................................................64
B. Determination of criminal charge.............................................................................................65
2. A. Example ‘civil’ rights: civil servants...........................................................................................65
2.B. Example ‘civil’ rights: interim measure......................................................................................67
3. Example ‘criminal’ charge.............................................................................................................68
B. Guarantees.......................................................................................................................................70
1. General guarantees ‘with implied limitations’..............................................................................70
A. Right to a court (including right of access)................................................................................70
B. Organisation and Composition.................................................................................................72
C. Conduct of the proceedings......................................................................................................72
B. Criminal proceedings: right to be presumed innocent..................................................................74
C. Criminal proceedings: overview....................................................................................................74
A. Right to participate in the hearing............................................................................................74
B. Law of evidence/ Right to remain silent...................................................................................76
C. Right of access to a lawyer........................................................................................................78
D. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................81
Right to respect for private and family life............................................................................................83
A. Right to respect for private life.....................................................................................................83
1. Scope........................................................................................................................................83
2. Negative obligation...................................................................................................................84
3. Positive obligations...................................................................................................................89
B. Right to respect family life............................................................................................................93
1. Scope........................................................................................................................................93
2. Negative obligation: H.K. – father suspected of child abuse – child taken in emergency care. .94
2.1. Expulsion (Üner v. the Netherlands).....................................................................................94
3. Positive obligation.....................................................................................................................95
3.1. Sahin (Family Life) – Refusal of access to child.......................................................................96
C. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................96
1. S and Larper..............................................................................................................................96
2. Strand Lobben...........................................................................................................................97
3. Begging in the streets under the scope of art. 8 ECHR..................................................................98
Freedom of Assembly and Association.................................................................................................98
1. Sources.........................................................................................................................................98
2. Freedom of Assembly and Association.........................................................................................98
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Human Rights Law
SAMENVATTING
SARAH VERHAEGEN
,Human Rights Law
Inhoud
Concept Human rights............................................................................................................................7
1. Terminology....................................................................................................................................7
2. Legal sources...................................................................................................................................7
3. Historical perspective......................................................................................................................9
4. (NO) Hierarchy................................................................................................................................9
Universal Protection (United Nations)....................................................................................................9
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights..........................................................................................9
2. Treaties.........................................................................................................................................10
3. Universal Mechanisms..................................................................................................................10
A. Treaty-based: Committees........................................................................................................11
B. Charter-based: political mechanism.........................................................................................11
C. Officer of the High Commissioner for Human Rights................................................................12
4. Illustrations...................................................................................................................................12
5. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................12
Regional Protection: Europe.................................................................................................................12
1. Introduction: Two Europes............................................................................................................12
2. Council of Europe: Legal sources..................................................................................................13
3. Council of Europe: Enforcement Mechanisms..............................................................................13
A. European Court of Human Rights.............................................................................................13
B. European Committee Social Rights (ECSR)................................................................................22
2. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................22
Regional Protection: European Union...................................................................................................23
1. EU Human Rights Sources.............................................................................................................23
A. Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU.................................................................................24
2. EU enforcement mechanisms.......................................................................................................25
A. Political Enforcement................................................................................................................25
B. Judicial Enforcement.................................................................................................................26
C. Relationship European Union and Counsil of Europe...............................................................27
4. Cases and question.......................................................................................................................27
Effect of Human Right Treaties in Belgium............................................................................................28
1. Relationship between legal orders: effect of treaties in Belgium..................................................28
2. Human Rights Protection in Belgium............................................................................................30
1
, 3. Execution of ECtHR judgments in Belgium....................................................................................31
Typology of Human Rights Obligations.................................................................................................32
1. Human Rights Treaties: interpreting open norms.........................................................................32
2. Typology of the State’s Obligations...............................................................................................34
A. Negative Obligations (obligation to respect).............................................................................35
B. Positive Obligations (obligation to protect and fulfill)...............................................................36
C. Derogable Rights in Times of Emergency ?...............................................................................39
3. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................40
Right to life...........................................................................................................................................41
1. Absolute Right..............................................................................................................................41
2. The scope......................................................................................................................................41
3. Obligations....................................................................................................................................43
A. Negative obligation...................................................................................................................43
B. Positive obligations...................................................................................................................44
4. Positive obligations.......................................................................................................................46
1. Protection against authorities...................................................................................................46
2. Protection against risks emanating from other individuals.......................................................46
3. Protection against yourself.......................................................................................................46
4. Minimal life conditions.............................................................................................................47
5. Procedural obligation: effective investigation...........................................................................47
Example Önyerildiz v. Turkey.........................................................................................................48
Example: da Silva v. VK..................................................................................................................49
5. Cases and questions......................................................................................................................52
Prohibition of torture or inhuman or degrading treatment..................................................................53
1. Absolute right...............................................................................................................................53
2. Applicability..................................................................................................................................54
3. Classification (Merits)...................................................................................................................54
4. Obligations....................................................................................................................................55
5. Attribution – burden of proof.......................................................................................................55
Example:police violence...................................................................................................................55
Example: corporal punishment children...........................................................................................58
Example: detention...........................................................................................................................58
Example: domestic violence against women....................................................................................60
Example: extradition foreigner.........................................................................................................61
6. Cases and question.......................................................................................................................63
Right to a fair trial.................................................................................................................................64
2
, A. Applicability......................................................................................................................................64
1. General.........................................................................................................................................64
A. Determination of civil rights.....................................................................................................64
B. Determination of criminal charge.............................................................................................65
2. A. Example ‘civil’ rights: civil servants...........................................................................................65
2.B. Example ‘civil’ rights: interim measure......................................................................................67
3. Example ‘criminal’ charge.............................................................................................................68
B. Guarantees.......................................................................................................................................70
1. General guarantees ‘with implied limitations’..............................................................................70
A. Right to a court (including right of access)................................................................................70
B. Organisation and Composition.................................................................................................72
C. Conduct of the proceedings......................................................................................................72
B. Criminal proceedings: right to be presumed innocent..................................................................74
C. Criminal proceedings: overview....................................................................................................74
A. Right to participate in the hearing............................................................................................74
B. Law of evidence/ Right to remain silent...................................................................................76
C. Right of access to a lawyer........................................................................................................78
D. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................81
Right to respect for private and family life............................................................................................83
A. Right to respect for private life.....................................................................................................83
1. Scope........................................................................................................................................83
2. Negative obligation...................................................................................................................84
3. Positive obligations...................................................................................................................89
B. Right to respect family life............................................................................................................93
1. Scope........................................................................................................................................93
2. Negative obligation: H.K. – father suspected of child abuse – child taken in emergency care. .94
2.1. Expulsion (Üner v. the Netherlands).....................................................................................94
3. Positive obligation.....................................................................................................................95
3.1. Sahin (Family Life) – Refusal of access to child.......................................................................96
C. Cases and Questions.....................................................................................................................96
1. S and Larper..............................................................................................................................96
2. Strand Lobben...........................................................................................................................97
3. Begging in the streets under the scope of art. 8 ECHR..................................................................98
Freedom of Assembly and Association.................................................................................................98
1. Sources.........................................................................................................................................98
2. Freedom of Assembly and Association.........................................................................................98
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