Human Rights

Malcolm: "Human Rights" Regime Narrows Democratic Choice

February 10, 2016

Sir Noel Malcolm writes that judges must take into account the harm to democracy that occurs when they use international human rights instruments such as the European Convention on Human Rights to take issues that should be decided by the elected representatives of the people out of the hands of those representatives.
CoE Pledges Steps Against Online "Hate Speech"

February 09, 2016

Following talks with German Justice Minister Heiko Maas, Council of Europe ("CoE") Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland praised cooperation between the German Government and internet companies to eliminate online "hate speech" and pledged to ramp up the CoE's work in this area.
CoE Warns Belgium on Inclusion of Disabled Persons

February 08, 2016

Council of Europe ("CoE") Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks has called on Belgium to speed along measures that would provide for the "social inclusion" of persons with disabilities, particularly mental disabilities, in the country, including by reforming the institutionalization process of such persons and integrating prisons and schools.
ECtHR Finds Rights Violation in Disability Payment Discontinuation

February 08, 2016

The European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has held that the discontinuation of government disability payments for a woman in Switzerland due to the supposition that because she gave birth to twins, she would not have continued to engage in full-time employment, violated the woman's rights against discrimination and to respect for her private and family life.
FRA Discusses "Toolkit" on Unbiased Media Reporting

February 08, 2016

The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights ("FRA") recently held a meeting at which participants discussed the development of a toolkit for media professionals on how to promote fundamental rights in their reporting, in part by avoiding "biased language" that could "reinforce stereotypes."
ECtHR: Hungary Violated Media Freedom in Website Case

February 04, 2016

The European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has ruled that Hungary violated the freedom of expression of a website publisher by holding it responsible for untrue criticism by its readers of a commercial real estate enterprise.
ECtHR Finds Child Rights Violation in Custody Proceeding

February 04, 2016

The European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has held that the Republic of Georgia violated the "right to respect for private and family life" of three children whom it says did not receive adequate representation in court during a custody dispute between their father and their mother's family.
CoE Warns UK on Bill of Rights Process

February 02, 2016

Following a recent visit to Scotland, the Council of Europe's ("CoE") Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks warned the UK that its process of developing a Bill of Rights to replace the country's Human Rights Act, which implements the European Convention on Human Rights in British law, is creating "an atmosphere of anxiety and concern" in the country.
UK Court: Detention of Reporter Violated ECHR

January 20, 2016

The Court of Appeals of England and Wales has held that the application of a UK law to provide for the detention and questioning of a reporter holding information from Edward Snowden by UK law enforcement officers violated a provision of the European Convention on Human Rights ("ECHR") relating to freedom of the press.
NGO: ECtHR Strengthens Rights of Criminal Suspects

January 13, 2016

Jennifer Babaie of the Open Society Justice Initiative writes that in three recent cases, the European Court of Human Rights ("ECtHR") has expanded its recognition of rights of criminal suspects, including the rights to access and to communicate freely with one's lawyer and the right against the use of confessions elicited through "inhuman or degrading treatment."