This week in Strasbourg - A roundup of the European Court of Human Rights' case law - week 29

Blogpost written by Marc de Werd -  Courtesy Press Service of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

JOURNALISTS' TROUBLES If I had more time I would have written a shorter blog post, someone once wrote. It's busy these days in Strasbourg just before the August holidays. And we've seen not less than five journalist's cases only this week that all need some attention.

Cassation in criminal cases. A ‘due process’ perspective

On Wednesday 22 May 2013 (now Dr.) Annelies Röttgering, Justice in the Amsterdam Court of Appeal, defended her thesis 'Cassation in criminal cases A ‘due process’ perspective' at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Her thesis inter alia describes the way the Supreme Court in the Netherlands reviews complaints in criminal cases in cassation. In this blog post she summarises the main findings of her research. 

This week in Strasbourg - A roundup of the European Court of Human Rights' case law - week 28

Blogpost written by Marc de Werd -  Courtesy Press Service of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

LIFE IMPRISONMENT is any sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life or until paroled. This sentence does not exist in all countries. Portugal was the first country in the world to abolish life imprisonment by the prison reforms of Sampaio e Melo in 1884. However, where life imprisonment is a possible sentence, there may also be formal mechanisms to request parole after a certain period of imprisonment. This means that a convict could be entitled to spend the rest of the sentence (that is, until he or she dies) outside prison. Early release is usually conditional depending on past and future conduct, possibly with certain restrictions or obligations. In contrast, when a fixed term of imprisonment has ended, the convict is free.In England and Wales, life imprisonment is a sentence which lasts until the death of the prisoner, although in most cases the prisoner will be eligible for parole (officially termed "early release") after a fixed period set by the judge. This period is known as the "minimum term" (previously known as the "tariff"). In some exceptionally grave cases however, a judge may order that a life sentence should mean life by making a "whole life order." 

Voter's rights in Russia - the upcoming case of Davydov and others v. Russia in the ECtHR (with an introduction in Russian)

Blogpost written by Anton Burkov

Постановление, оглашенное Конституционным Судом России 22 апреля 2013 года, касалось права избирателя, наблюдателя и члена участковой избирательной комиссии на обращение в суд за защитой нарушенного избирательного права. Началось все на выборах 4 декабря 2011 года в Государственную Думу России, когда самым распространенным нарушением было внесение в Государственную Аавтоматизированную Систему «Выборы» цифр, отличающихся от результатов, закрепленных в протоколах УИК об итогах голосования. Это и привело избирателей из Санкт-Петербурга и Воронежской области сначало в суды общей юрисдикции с заявлениями о защите избирательных прав, а после прекращения производств по ним с жалобами в Конституционный Суд.

This week in Strasbourg - A roundup of the European Court of Human Rights' case law - week 27

Blogpost written by Marc de Werd -  Courtesy Press Service of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg

PRISON OVERCROWDING in Europe has been repeatedly established by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). The CPT was set up under the Council of Europe’s “European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”, which came into force in 1989. It builds on Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights which provides that “No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. The CPT is not an investigative body, but provides a non-judicial preventive mechanism to protect persons deprived of their liberty against torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

Nieuwsbrief Rechtspraak Europa no. 7 - juli 2013 (European Courts' newsletter - Dutch edition)

Klik hier voor onze nieuwsbrief met een overzicht van recente rechtspraak van het Europese Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens in Straatsburg en het Hof van justitie van de Europese Unie in Luxemburg