February/Février 2013 No./N
o160
Information Note on the Court’s case-law
Note d’information sur la jurisprudence de la Cour
Provisional version/Version provisoire
CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
The Information Note, compiled by the Court’s Case-Law Information and Publications Division, contains summaries of cases examined during the month in question which the Registry considers as being of particular interest. The summaries are not binding on the Court. In the provisional version the summaries are normally drafted in the language of the case concerned, whereas the final single-language version appears in English and French respectively. The Information Note may be downloaded at <www.echr.coe.
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© Council of Europe / European Court of Human Rights – Conseil de l’Europe / Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, 2013
3 ARTICLE 5
Article 5 § 1 (a)
After conviction/Après condamnation
• Execution during several years of prison service imposed by a court “not established by law”: violation
• Exécution pendant plusieurs années d’une peine de prison infligée par un tribunal non « établi par la loi » : violation
Yefimenko – Russia/Russie - 152/04 ... 7
ARTICLE 6 Article 6 § 1 (civil)
Civil rights and obligations/
Droits et obligations de caractère civil Access to court/Accès à un tribunal
• Retrospective application of a change in the case-law with unforeseen consequences on proceedings already under way: violation
• Application rétroactive d’un changement de jurisprudence, et conséquences imprévues sur une procédure en cours : violation
Petko Petkov – Bulgaria/Bulgarie - 2834/06 ... 7 Article 6 § 3 (d)
Examination of witnesses/Interrogation de témoins
• Admission in evidence of statement by sole prosecution witness who could not be cross-examined because of post-traumatic stress disorder: no violation
• Admission comme preuve des déclarations de l’unique témoin à charge dont le contre-examen était impossible en raison de son état de stress post-traumatique : non-violation
Gani – Spain/Espagne - 61800/08 ... 8
ARTICLE 7 Article 7 § 1
Nullum crimen sine lege
• Absence of retrospective effect of criminal law shortening limitation period: inadmissible
• Non-rétroactivité d’une loi pénale raccour cissant les délais de prescription : irrecevable
Previti – Italy/Italie (dec./déc.) - 1845/08 ... 9 ARTICLE 8
Positive obligations/Obligations positives Respect for private life/Respect de la vie privée Respect for family life/Respect de la vie familiale
• Lack of adequate legal protection in a case concerning a mother’s committal to a psychiatric institution and the placement of her children in care: violations
• Absence de protection juridique adéquate lors de l’internement psychiatrique d’une mère et du placement de ses enfants : violations
B. – Romania/Roumanie (no. 2/no 2) - 1285/03 ... 10
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
4
ARTICLE 9
Manifest religion or belief/Manifester sa religion ou sa conviction
• Confiscation of cassette player used by prisoner to listen to religious tapes: inadmissible
• Confiscation d’un lecteur de cassette utilisé par un détenu pour écouter des cassettes à caractère religieux : irrecevable
Austrianu – Romania/Roumanie - 16117/02 ... 11
ARTICLE 10
Freedom to receive information/Liberté de recevoir des informations Freedom to impart information/Liberté de communiquer des informations
• Conviction and order to pay damages for operating website allowing third parties to share files in breach of copyright: inadmissible
• Condamnation et ordre de verser des dommages-intérêts pour exploitation d’un site internet qui permettait aux tiers de partager des fichiers en violation des droits d’auteur : irrecevable
Neij and/et Sunde Kolmisoppi – Sweden/Suède (dec./déc.) - 40397/12 ... 12
ARTICLE 14
Discrimination (Article 6 § 1)
• Failure to enforce a judgment acknowledging gender discrimination against a working mother:
violation
• Inexécution d’un jugement reconnaissant une discrimination fondée sur le sexe, au détriment d’une mère salariée : violation
García Mateos – Spain/Espagne - 38285/09 ... 12 Discrimination (Article 8)
• Impossibility of second-parent adoption in same-sex couple: violation
• Impossibilité pour le second parent, au sein d’un couple homosexuel, d’adopter l’enfant de l’autre : violation
X and Others/et autres – Austria/Autriche [GC] - 19010/07 ... 13
• Total removal of applicant’s access rights on account of his attempts to transmit his religious beliefs to his child: violation
• Suppression totale du droit de visite accordé au requérant, en raison de ses tentatives de transmettre ses convictions religieuses à son enfant : violation
Vojnity – Hungary/Hongrie - 29617/07 ... 15 Discrimination (Article 1 of Protocol No. 1/du Protocole no 1)
• Difference in treatment of legitimate and illegitimate children for succession purposes: violation
• Différence de traitement successoral entre enfant naturel et enfant légitime : violation
Fabris – France [GC] - 16574/08 ... 16
• Alleged discrimination in payments to military reservists on grounds of place of residence: case referred to the Grand Chamber
• Allégation de discrimination fondée sur le lieu de résidence dans le cadre des versements au profit des réservistes de l’armée : affaire renvoyée devant la Grande Chambre
Vučković and Others/et autres – Serbia/Serbie - 17153/11 et al... 17
5 ARTICLE 35
Article 35 § 1
Six-month period/Délai de six mois
• Submission of original application form outside eight weeks allowed by Practice Direction on the Institution of Proceedings: inadmissible
• Original du formulaire de requête déposé en dehors du délai de huit semaines fixé par l’Instruction pratique sur l’introduction de l’instance : irrecevable
Abdulrahman – Netherlands/Pays-Bas (dec./déc.) - 66994/12 ... 18
• Submission of an application form signed by proxy by a person unknown: inadmissible
• Déposition d’un formulaire de requête signé par procuration par un inconnu : irrecevable
Ngendakumana – Netherlands/Pays-Bas (dec./déc.) - 16380/11 ... 19
REFERRAL TO THE GRAND CHAMBER / RENVOI DEVANT LA GRANDE CHAMBRE ...19
COURT NEWS / L’ACTUALITÉ DE LA COUR ... 19 Twitter
RECENT COURT PUBLICATIONS / PUBLICATIONS RÉCENTES DE LA COUR ... 20 Guide on case-law / uide sur la jurisprudence
Factsheets in Turkish / Fiches thématiques en turc
7 Article 5 § 1 (a) – Article 6 § 1 (civil)
ARTICLE 5
Article 5 § 1 (a) After conviction/Après condamnation Execution during several years of prison service imposed by a court “not established by law”: violationExécution pendant plusieurs années d’une peine de prison infligée par un tribunal non
« établi par la loi » : violation
Yefimenko – Russia/Russie - 152/04 Judgment/Arrêt 12.2.2013 [Section I]
Facts – In 2001 the applicant was arrested on sus- picion of murder. His case was sent to the regional court for trial by a professional judge sitting with two lay judges. The applicant objected to the partici- pation of the lay judges on the grounds that they had served more than once a year between 1998 and 2002 in breach of the Lay Judges Act. His objection was dismissed and on 24 April 2003 he was con- victed by the trial court. In September 2009 the Supreme Court quashed his conviction following supervisory-review proceedings and ordered a retrial after noting certain irregularities relating to the lists of lay judges sitting in the regional court at the ma- terial time. The Presidium of the Supreme Court later confirmed that decision, but on amended grounds after noting that since there was no indication that the lay judges in the applicant’s case were on the list of lay assessors, the trial court had not been estab- lished by law. The applicant remained in detention pending his retrial, which ended with his being sentenced to nineteen and a half years’ imprisonment.
In his application to the European Court, the ap- plicant argued, inter alia, that the period of imprison- ment he had served under the original trial judgment had not complied with the requirements of Article 5 § 1 of the Convention.
Law – Article 5 § 1 (a): It was common ground that the regional court had in principle had juris- diction to take the decision in issue. However, both during and after the trial the applicant had sought to substantiate and obtain confirmation of his allegations of a breach of the Lay Judges Act in relation to the composition of that court. Having obtained no prompt and adequate redress in ordinary appeal proceedings in relation to those allegations, he had been required to serve the prison sentence imposed by the trial court on 24 April 2003. How- ever, as had been acknowledged by the Supreme
Court in the supervisory-review proceedings years after the trial, the composition of the trial court had not been “established by law” as regards two of the judges. There was no indication that they had received any authority to sit as lay judges in the applicant’s case, which had ended with a heavy prison sentence. There had thus been a gross and obvious irregularity in respect of the period of the applicant’s detention under the judgment of 24 April 2003. The court which convicted him was therefore not “competent” and his detention was not “lawful” within the meaning of Article 5 § 1 (a) of the Convention. In view of the gravity of the violation and noting the absence of adequate acknowledgment and redress, the Court concluded that the applicant’s detention on the basis of the trial judgment had been in breach of Article 5 § 1.
Conclusion: violation (six votes to one).
The Court also found, unanimously, a violation of Articles 3, 8 and 13 of the Convention and a failure by the respondent State to comply with its obli- gation under Article 34.
Article 41: EUR 20,000 in respect of non- pecuniary damage.
ARTICLE 6
Article 6 § 1 (civil) Civil rights and obligations/Droits et obligations de caractère civil Access to court/Accès à un tribunal
Retrospective application of a change in the case-law with unforeseen consequences on proceedings already under way: violation Application rétroactive d’un changement de jurisprudence, et conséquences imprévues sur une procédure en cours : violation
Petko Petkov – Bulgaria/Bulgarie - 2834/06 Judgment/Arrêt 19.2.2013 [Section IV]
Facts – Following the death of his father the appli- cant brought an action in 2003 against his uncle, who had inherited the entire estate and received lifetime gifts, for a reserved share under the Inher- itance Act 1949. Section 30(2) of the Act required the claimant of a reserved share to produce an inventory of the estate where the defendant to the action was not an “heir-at-law”. That term was not statutorily defined but had been the subject of
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
8 Article 6 § 1 (civil) – Article 6 § 3 (d)
an interpretative decision of the Supreme Court in 1964. In reliance on that interpretative decision the applicant did not produce an inventory in support of his claim. His action was ultimately dismissed after the Supreme Court reinterpreted the term
“heir-at-law” in a new decision of 4 February 2005 in a way which meant that the applicant should have produced an inventory. This he was unable to do, as the time-limit had expired.
Law – Article 6 § 1: The requirement under the Inheritance Act 1949 for the claimant to prepare an inventory when the defendant to the claim was not an “heir-at-law” had to be seen not as qualifying a substantive right but as a procedural bar to the domestic courts’ power to determine the right. The action brought by the applicant thus fell within the civil limb of Article 6.
Although the term “heir-at-law” was not statutorily defined, until 2005 it had been interpreted by the Supreme Court in such a way that, when bringing his claim in 2003, the applicant could reasonably have expected that the requirement for an inventory would not apply. However, the Supreme Court had reinterpreted the term in 2005. The new interpret- ation had not only prevented the applicant from having his claim determined by a court without an inventory, it had also become an insurmountable obstacle to any future attempts on his part to re- cover his reserved share, as the time-limit for pre- paring an inventory had long since expired. While case-law development was not, in itself, contrary to the proper administration of justice, in previous cases where changes in domestic jurisprudence had affected pending civil proceedings, the Court had been satisfied that the way in which the law had developed had been well known to the parties, or at least reasonably foreseeable, and that no uncer- tainty had existed as to their legal situation. In the instant case, however, while the restitution process and other legal developments which had led the Supreme Court to amend its interpretation of the term “heir-at-law” were known, it appeared that the side effect of that new interpretation on cases pending at the cassation level such as the applicant’s had not been foreseen. Indeed, in later judgments the Supreme Court had found that the lower courts were in fact interpreting the formal requirement for an inventory too strictly when applying it to cases where the defendant had inherited the entire estate.
The Court was not convinced that the otherwise reasonable aim pursued by that requirement could not have been attained in an adversarial trial rather than by barring the applicant’s claim altogether. It
noted too that the Supreme Court’s decision of 2005 did not contain provisions on its applicability to pending proceedings. Unlike the case of Legrand v. France, in which the new legal principle estab- lished by the French Court of Cassation had not had the effect of depriving the applicants in that case – even retrospectively – of their right to access to court, in the instant case the unforeseeability of the procedural requirement had applied retroactive- ly to the pending proceedings and thus restricted the applicant’s access to court to such an extent that its very essence had been impaired.
Conclusion: violation (unanimously).
Article 41: EUR 1,000 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.
(See Legrand v. France, no. 23228/08, 26 May 2011, Information Note no. 141)
Article 6 § 3 (d)
Examination of witnesses/Interrogation de témoins
Admission in evidence of statement by sole prosecution witness who could not be cross- examined because of post-traumatic stress disorder: no violation
Admission comme preuve des déclarations de l’unique témoin à charge dont le contre- examen était impossible en raison de son état de stress post-traumatique : non-violation
Gani – Spain/Espagne - 61800/08 Judgment/Arrêt 19.2.2013 [Section III]
Facts – Following reports to the police by N., his former partner and the mother of his son, the applicant was arrested and charged with bodily harm, abduction and rape. N. testified at a hearing before the investigating judge which was not attended by the applicant’s counsel, who gave no reasons for his absence. N.’s statement was written up and added to the case file. Subsequently, at the trial N. started to answer the questions put by the public prosecutor when her evidence had to be interrupted, as she was said to be suffering from post-traumatic stress symptoms that were hindering her from testifying. The symptoms were medically confirmed after the hearing. As a consequence, N.
could not be cross-examined by the public pros- ecutor, the private prosecutor or the applicant’s counsel. The court had already adjourned the hearing once before, following a similar reaction
9 Article 6 § 3 (d) – Article 7 § 1
by N. As an alternative to having N. questioned by the parties, the court ordered that the statements which had been taken from her at the investigation stage should be read out. The applicant gave his alternative account of the facts, but was convicted and given a custodial sentence.
Law – Article 6 § 1 in conjunction with Article 6
§ 3 (d): The investigating judge had held an interview with N. in which the applicant’s counsel could have put questions to her. The applicant had thus been given an opportunity to have her exam- ined which his counsel had unjustifiably missed.
Regarding the possibility for the applicant to have examined N. at the trial, the trial court had stayed the hearing in the light of her incapacity to describe what had happened and, once it had been medically ascertained that she was suffering post-traumatic stress symptoms, had ordered that she be provided psychological support with a view to having her fully cross-examined at a public hearing. Only after countless unsuccessful efforts, including medical support, had been made to enable N. to continue with her statement, had the court decided that her pre-trial statements would be read out as an alter- native to direct cross-examination by the parties.
In so doing, it took into account the fact that N.
would not be available for cross-examination within a reasonable time and that the applicant was in prison on remand. In the light of these circumstances, the trial court could not be accused of a lack of diligence in its efforts to provide the applicant with an opportunity to examine the witness. Nor had it unduly exempted N. from cross-examination.
As to whether the use of N.’s pre-trial statements by the domestic courts had been accompanied by sufficient counterbalancing factors, her cross- examination had proved impracticable owing to post-traumatic stress symptoms that had been medically confirmed. The applicant had been given the opportunity to put questions to her during the investigative stage of the proceedings but his counsel had failed to attend the hearing. In those circumstances, the interests of justice had obviously been in favour of admitting N.’s statements in evi- dence. Her statements had been read out before the trial court and the applicant had been allowed to challenge their truthfulness by giving his own account of the facts, which he had duly done. The domestic courts had carefully compared both ver- sions of the facts, which partially coincided, particularly those aspects that did not involve the commission of any criminal offence or that had minor criminal implications. They had deemed the applicant’s version weak and inconsistent, and that
of N. logical and sufficiently detailed to eliminate any suspicion of simulation or revenge. The domes- tic courts had also taken into account the statement given by N. at the hearing which, although incom- plete, had served to corroborate her pre-trial state- ments. The reliability of N.’s statements had further been supported by indirect evidence and by the medical opinions and reports confirming that her bodily injuries and psychological condition were consistent with her account of the facts. There had therefore been sufficient counterbalancing factors to conclude that the admission in evidence of N.’s statements had not resulted in a breach of Article 6 § 1 read in conjunction with Article 6 § 3 (d) of the Convention.
Conclusion: no violation (unanimously).
ARTICLE 7
Article 7 § 1 Nullum crimen sine legeAbsence of retrospective effect of criminal law shortening limitation period: inadmissible Non-rétroactivité d’une loi pénale raccour- cissant les délais de prescription : irrecevable
Previti – Italy/Italie - 1845/08 Decision/Décision 12.2.2013 [Section II]
En fait – En 1996, le parquet de Milan ouvrit des poursuites pour corruption à l’encontre du requé- rant. Un non-lieu fut prononcé en sa faveur en 2000. Le parquet interjeta appel. En 2005, le Par- lement adopta une loi qui, entre autres, raccour- cissait le délai de prescription pour l’infraction de corruption de quinze à huit ans. La date de la commission de l’infraction reprochée au requérant pouvant être fixée en 1992, ses élé ments constitutifs auraient donc été prescrits en 2000. Toutefois, en vertu d’une disposition transi toire, le requérant ne put bénéficier des modifica tions relatives au régime de prescription en raison de ce que son procès était pendant en cassation au moment de l’entrée en vigueur de cette loi. En 2007, la juridiction devant laquelle la Cour de cassation renvoya l’affaire con- damna le requérant. Le dernier pourvoi de celui-ci fut rejeté.
En droit – Article 7 : La Convention soumet les dispositions définissant les infractions et les peines qui les répriment à des règles particulières en matière
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
10 Article 7 § 1 – Article 8
de rétroactivité, qui incluent le principe de rétro- activité de la loi pénale plus douce.En revanche, comme la Grande Chambre l’a rappelé dans son arrêt Scoppola c. Italie (no 2), la Cour a estimé rai- sonnable l’application, par les juridictions internes, du principe tempus regit actum en ce qui concerne les lois de procédure. Or, dans son arrêt Coëme et autres c. Belgique, la Cour a qualifié les règles en matière de prescription de lois de procédure. Les règles sur la prescription ne définissent pas les in- fractions et les peines qui les répriment, et peuvent être interprétées comme posant une simple condi- tion préalable pour l’examen de l’affaire.Par consé- quent, puisque la modification législative dénoncée par le requérant a concerné une loi de procédure, sous réserve de l’absence d’arbitraire, rien dans la Convention n’empêchait le législateur italien de règlementer son application aux procès en cours au moment de son entrée en vigueur. L’exception prévue par le régime transitoire a été limitée aux seuls procès pendants en appel ou en cassation.Ce régime transitoire n’apparaît ni déraisonnable ni arbi traire. Dans ces circonstances, aucune appa- rence de violation de l’article 7 de la Convention ne saurait être décelée.
Conclusion : irrecevable (défaut manifeste de fon- dement).
(Voir Scoppola c. Italie (no 2) [GC], no 10249/03, 17 septembre 2009, Note d’information no 122, et Coëme et autres c. Belgique, nos 32492/96 et al., 22 juin 2000, Note d’information no 19)
ARTICLE 8
Positive obligations/Obligations positives Respect for private life/Respect de la vie privée Respect for family life/Respect de la vie familiale
Lack of adequate legal protection in a case concerning a mother’s committal to a psychiatric institution and the placement of her children in care: violations
Absence de protection juridique adéquate lors de l’internement psychiatrique d’une mère et du placement de ses enfants : violations
B. – Romania/Roumanie (no. 2/no 2) - 1285/03 Judgment/Arrêt 19.2.2013 [Section III]
En fait – La requérante est admise depuis 1996 au bénéfice d’une aide sociale, comme personne han- di capée inapte pour exercer un travail. En 2000,
elle a été diagnostiquée comme atteinte de « schizo- phrénie paranoïde ». Deux de ses enfants étaient mineurs à l’époque des faits. Ni curatelle ni tutelle n’ont jamais été mises en place, ni pour eux, ni pour la requérante. Depuis 2000, la requérante a fait l’objet de nombreux internements en service psychiatrique où elle était conduite par la police.
A partir de ce moment, ses deux enfants mineurs n’habitaient plus avec elle mais avaient été placés dans un centre d’accueil pour enfants abandonnés.
En droit – Article 8
a) Concernant les internements de la requérante – Dans la plupart des affaires concernant des « alié- nés » dont la Cour a été saisie précédemment, la pro cédure interne portant sur l’internement des in- té ressés a été examinée sous l’angle de l’article 5 de la Convention. Par conséquent, pour détermi ner si la procédure d’internement en l’espèce a été con- forme à l’article 8 de la Convention, la Cour s’ap- puiera, mutatis mutandis, sur sa jurisprudence relative à l’article 5 § 1 e) de la Convention.
En dépit du fait que la loi sur la protection des personnes atteintes d’un handicap prévoyait l’obli- gation de mettre en place à leur profit une protec- tion juridique sous forme de tutelle ou de cura telle, aucune mesure de protection de ce type n’a été prise à l’égard de la requérante. Cela malgré le fait que son état de santé était connu des autorités bien avant le début des internements. Sa situation de vulnérabilité avait d’ailleurs été constatée et portée à la connaissance des tribunaux nationaux par de nombreux rapports des services d’assistance sociale.
Or ni les services sociaux, ni les tribunaux n’en tirèrent aucune conséquence sur le plan de la pro- tection juridique de la requérante elle-même.Ce fut précisément ce manquement des autorités qui a contribué à rendre illusoires les garanties mises en place par la loi sur la santé mentale, notamment le droit de l’intéressé d’être assisté lorsqu’il exprime son consentement. Il en est de même s’agissant de l’obligation de notification de la mesure d’inter ne- ment au représentant légal ainsi que de l’obli gation d’information de ce dernier au sujet des circon- stances justifiant la prise de la mesure d’internement.
Les récentes modifications apportées à la loi sur la santé mentale prévoient que si le patient n’a pas de représentant légal et qu’il n’a pas pu désigner un représentant conventionnel en raison de son inca- pacité psychique, l’hôpital est tenu de le notifier aussitôt à l’autorité de tutelle du domicile de l’in- téressé afin que des mesures de protection juridique puissent être mises en place. Toutefois, ces nouvelles dispositions n’ont pas eu d’incidence sur la situation de la requérante.Les dispositions du droit interne régissant les internements psychiatriques et la pro-
11 Article 8 – Article 9
tec tion des personnes se trouvant dans l’impos- sibilité de pourvoir seules à leurs intérêts n’ont pas été appliquées à la requérante dans l’esprit de son droit au respect de la vie privée garanti par l’ar- ticle 8. Ce faisant, les autorités nationales ont failli à leur obligation de prendre des mesures adéquates à la défense des intérêts de la requérante.
Conclusion : violation (unanimité).
b) Concernant le placement des enfants de la requé- rante – C’est en raison de l’absence de protec- tion spéciale à l’égard de la requérante, notamment par la désignation d’un avocat commis d’office lors des procédures de placement ou par la nomina- tion d’un curateur, qu’elle n’a pas été en mesure de par ticiper effectivemment à la procédure concer- nant le placement de ses enfants, ni d’y voir ses intérêts représentés. En outre, la situation familiale de la requérante ne fut examinée qu’en deux occasions sur une période de douze ans. Enfin, rien n’indique un maintien des contacts réguliers entre les tra vailleurs sociaux responsables et l’intéressée, qui auraient pu fournir un bon moyen de signaler aux autorités l’opinion de cette dernière.Pour ces raisons, le processus décisionnel ayant maintenu le placement des deux enfants mineurs de la requé- rante n’a pas été conduit dans le respect de ses droits tels que garantis par l’article 8 de la Convention.
Conclusion : violation (unanimité).
Article 41 : 10 000 EUR pour préjudice moral.
ARTICLE 9
Manifest religion or belief/Manifester sa religion ou sa conviction
Confiscation of cassette player used by prisoner to listen to religious tapes: inadmissible
Confiscation d’un lecteur de cassette utilisé par un détenu pour écouter des cassettes à caractère religieux : irrecevable
Austrianu – Romania/Roumanie - 16117/02 Judgment/Arrêt 12.2.2013 [Section III]
Facts – The applicant, who was of Baptist confes- sion, was serving a lengthy prison sentence. After reacting to the confiscation of a small radio-cassette player he had received after obtaining good results on a “Christian moral education” programme, he was informed by the prison authorities that prison- ers were only entitled to have battery-operated radios and television sets, but that he could listen
to his audio cassettes on the cassette player be- longing to the prison’s cultural-educational depart- ment if he wished. In his application to the Euro- pean Court, the applicant complained inter alia that the confiscation of his religious tapes and cas- sette player had infringed his freedom of religion.
Law – Article 9: Article 9 did not protect every act motivated or inspired by a religion or belief. Taking into account the State’s margin of appreciation, confiscation of the cassette (assuming it constituted interference with the applicant’s rights under Art- icle 9) had not completely prevented the applicant from manifesting his religion. According to the Government the prison authorities had offered the applicant the use of a cassette player in the prison’s cultural-educational department to listen to his religious cassettes and, although the applicant had contested the existence of such a facility, he did not appear to have raised any complaint in that respect with the prison authorities. Moreover, he had been allowed to attend religious seminars, and it had never been contested that he could read religious books in his cell. Taking these considerations into account, the Court considered that restricting the list of things prisoners could have in their cells by excluding items (such as cassette players) which were not essential for manifesting religion was a proportion- ate response to the necessity to protect the rights and freedoms of others and to maintain security in prison.
Conclusion: inadmissible (manifestly ill-founded).
(See also Kovaļkovs v. Latvia (dec.), no. 35021/05, 31 January 2012)
The Court also found a complaint of discrimination on religious grounds (Article 14 in conjunction with Article 9) manifestly ill-founded. It upheld the ap- pli cant’s complaints of violations of both the sub- stantive and procedural limbs of Article 3 in respect of an incident in which he was hit with a truncheon on 9 December 1998, but found no violation of that provision in respect of an alleged lack of adequate medical treatment.
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
12 Article 10 – Article 14
ARTICLE 10
Freedom to receive information/Liberté de recevoir des informations
Freedom to impart information/Liberté de communiquer des informations
Conviction and order to pay damages for operating website allowing third parties to share files in breach of copyright: inadmissible Condamnation et ordre de verser des
dommages-intérêts pour exploitation d’un site internet qui permettait aux tiers de partager des fichiers en violation des droits d’auteur : irrecevable
Neij and/et Sunde Kolmisoppi – Sweden/Suède - 40397/12 Decision/Décision 19.2.2013 [Section V]
Facts – During 2005 and 2006 the two applicants were involved in different aspects of one of the world’s largest file sharing services on the Internet, the website “The Pirate Bay” (TPB). The service provided by TPB made it possible for users to con- tact each other through torrent files and exchange digital material through file-sharing outside TPB’s computers. In 2008 they and others were charged with complicity to commit crimes in violation of the Copyright Act on the grounds that they had furthered the infringement by the website’s users of copyright in music, films and computer games.
The applicants were convicted. On appeal the first applicant was sentenced to ten months’ imprison- ment and the second applicant to eight months.
They were also held jointly liable with the other de fendants in damages of approximately EUR 3,300,000.
Law – Article 10: The applicants had put in place the means for others to impart and receive infor- mation within the meaning of Article 10. Their ac tions were afforded protection under that pro- vision and, consequently, their convictions had interfered with their right to freedom of expression.
Since they were convicted only in respect of ma- terial which was protected by copyright in accord- ance with the Copyright Act, the interference was
“prescribed by law”. It had pursued the legitimate aims of protecting the rights of others and prevent- ing crime.
As to whether the interference had been necessary in a democratic society, the Court was called upon to weigh the applicants’ interest in facilitating the sharing of the information against the interest in protecting the rights of the copyright-holders. As
intellectual property, copyright was entitled to protection under Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention. Accordingly, since it had to balance two competing interests which were both protected by the Convention, the respondent State had enjoyed a wide margin of appreciation. Indeed, that margin was particularly wide in the instant case as the type of material in respect of which the applicants were convicted was not entitled to the same level of protection as that afforded to political expression and debate. Further, since the Swedish authorities were under an obligation to protect the plaintiffs’
property rights in accordance with the Copyright Act and the Convention, there were weighty rea- sons for the restriction of the applicants’ freedom of expression. The Swedish courts had advanced relevant and sufficient reasons for finding that the applicants’ activities within the commercially run TPB amounted to criminal conduct. Lastly, the prison sentence and award of damages could not be regarded as disproportionate in view in particular of the applicants’ failure to take any action to re- move the impugned torrent files, despite being urged to do so, and of their indifference to the fact that copyright-protected works had been the subject of file-sharing activities via TPB.
In conclusion, regard being had in particular to the nature of the information shared and the weighty reasons given, the interference with the applicants’
freedom of expression had been necessary in a democratic society.
Conclusion: inadmissible (manifestly ill-founded).
ARTICLE 14
Discrimination (Article 6 § 1)
Failure to enforce a judgment acknowledging gender discrimination against a working mother: violation
Inexécution d’un jugement reconnaissant une discrimination fondée sur le sexe, au détriment d’une mère salariée : violation
García Mateos – Spain/Espagne - 38285/09 Judgment/Arrêt 19.2.2013 [Section III]
En fait – En février 2003, s’appuyant sur le sta- tut des travailleurs, la requérante demanda à son employeur la réduction de sa journée de travail en raison de la garde légale de son fils âgé de moins de six ans. A la suite du refus de son employeur, elle engagea une procédure devant la juridiction du travail et en fut déboutée. Par un arrêt de 2007, le
Article 14 13 Tribunal constitutionnel fit droit au recours d’amparo
de la requérante, estimant que le principe de non- discrimination selon le sexe avait été violé, l’em- ployeur ayant fait obstacle à la conciliation de la vie professionnelle avec la vie familiale de son em- ployée. Il ordonna au juge du travail de rendre un nouveau jugement. En 2007, ce dernier débouta la requérante, qui introduisit un nouveau recours d’amparo. En 2009, le Tribunal constitutionnel consi déra que son arrêt de 2007 n’avait pas été cor rec tement exécuté et déclara nul le jugement du tri bunal du travail. Il estima néanmoins qu’une nou velle décision du juge du travail n’aurait plus d’objet, le fils de la requérante ayant entre-temps atteint l’âge de six ans, et considéra que la fixation d’une indemnisation alternative n’était pas permise par la loi organique sur le Tribunal constitutionnel.
En droit – Article 14 combiné avec l’article 6 § 1 : L’Etat est tenu de mettre à la disposition des requé- rants un système leur permettant d’obtenir l’exécu- tion correcte des décisions rendues par les juridic- tions internes. Le Tribunal constitutionnel a conclu, dans sa décision de 2009, qu’il avait été porté atteinte au droit de la requérante à l’exécution de son premier arrêt reconnaissant la violation du principe de non-discrimination. Une décision ou mesure favorable au requérant ne suffit en principe à lui retirer la qualité de « victime » que si les auto- rités nationales ont reconnu, explicitement ou en substance, puis réparé la violation de la Convention.
Nonobstant les deux arrêts rendus par le Tribunal constitutionnel, la violation constatée par la plus haute juridiction interne n’a pas été réparée à ce jour.
L’intention initiale de la requérante n’était pas d’ob- tenir une indemnisation mais de voir reconnaître son droit à une journée réduite de travail afin de pouvoir s’occuper de son fils avant qu’il n’atteigne l’âge de six ans. Elle n’a par la suite formulé sa demande d’indemnisation qu’en raison du dépas- sement par son enfant de l’âge prévu légalement pour qu’elle pût bénéficier de la réduction de sa journée de travail. Dans sa décision de 2009, le Tribunal constitutionnel a refusé d’accorder une indemnisation à la requérante à cet égard et ne lui a donné aucune indication sur une éventuelle possibilité de réclamation ultérieure devant un autre organe administratif ou judiciaire. Il est vrai qu’en raison de l’âge de l’enfant au terme de la procédure, une réparation en nature du droit de la requérante considéré violé n’était plus possible. La Cour ne saurait indiquer à l’Etat defendeur la façon dont le régime des réparations dans le cadre du recours d’amparo devrait être institué. Elle se borne à constater que la protection dispensée par le Tribunal constitutionnel s’est révélée inefficace. Par
ailleurs, la demande d’aménagement de sa jour née de travail présentée par la requérante devant le juge du travail n’a pas obtenu de réponse quant au fond malgré le fait que les deux jugements en sens con- traire du juge du travail ont été déclarés nuls. De plus, le recours d’amparo formé par la requérante est devenu caduc, le Tribunal constitutionnel ayant considéré que la loi ne prévoit pas d’octroi d’indem- nisation comme moyen de réparation d’un droit fondamental violé. Ainsi, l’absence de rétablissement de la requérante dans la plénitude de son droit a rendu illusoire la protection dispensée par l’octroi de l’amparo par le Tribunal constitutionnel.
Conclusion : violation (unanimité).
Article 41 : 16 000 EUR pour préjudice moral.
Discrimination (Article 8)
Impossibility of second-parent adoption in same-sex couple: violation
Impossibilité pour le second parent, au sein d’un couple homosexuel, d’adopter l’enfant de l’autre : violation
X and Others/et autres – Austria/Autriche - 19010/07 Judgment/Arrêt 19.2.2013 [GC]
Facts – The first and third applicants are two women living in a stable homosexual relationship.
The second applicant is the third applicant’s minor son. He was born out of wedlock. His father had acknowledged paternity but the third applicant had sole custody. The first applicant wished to adopt the second applicant in order to create a legal relationship between them without severing the boy’s relationship with his mother and an adoption agreement was concluded to that end. However, the domestic courts refused to approve the agree- ment after finding that under domestic law adop- tion by one person had the effect of severing the family-law relationship with the biological parent of the same sex, so that the boy’s adoption by the first applicant would sever his relationship with his mother, the third applicant, not his father.
Law – Article 14 in conjunction with Article 8 (a) Applicability – The relationship between the three applicants amounted to “family life” within the meaning of Article 8. Article 14, taken in con- junction with Article 8, was therefore applicable.
(b) Comparison with a married couple in which one spouse wished to adopt the other spouse’s child – The Court saw no reason to deviate from its findings in Gas and Dubois v. France and concluded that the
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
Article 14 14
first and third applicants in the instant case were not in a relevantly similar situation to a married couple.
Conclusion: no violation (unanimously).
(c) Comparison with an unmarried different-sex couple in which one partner wished to adopt the other partner’s child – The Court accepted that the ap- plicants were in a relevantly similar situation to an unmarried different-sex couple in which one part- ner wished to adopt the other partner’s child. The Government had not argued that a special legal status existed which would distinguish an unmar- ried heterosexual couple from a same-sex couple and had conceded that same-sex couples could in principle be as suitable (or unsuitable) for adoption purposes, including second-parent adoption, as different-sex couples. Austrian law allowed second- parent adoption by an unmarried different-sex couple.
In contrast, second-parent adoption in a same-sex couple was not legally possible. The relevant regu- lations of the Civil Code provided that any person who adopted replaced the biological parent of the same sex. As the first applicant was a woman, her adoption of her partner’s child could only sever the child’s legal relationship with his mother. Adoption could therefore not serve to create a parent-child relationship between the first applicant and the child in addition to the relationship with his mother.
The Court was not convinced by the Government’s argument that the applicants’ adoption request had been refused on grounds unrelated to their sexual orientation and that, therefore, the applicants were asking the Court to carry out an abstract review of the law. The domestic courts had made it clear that an adoption producing the effect desired by the ap- pli cants was impossible under the Civil Code. They had not carried out any investigation into the cir- cum stances of the case. In particular, they had not dealt with the question whether there were any reasons for overriding the refusal of the child’s father to consent to the adoption. In contrast, the regional court had underlined that the notion of “parents”
in Austrian family law meant two persons of the opposite sex and had stressed the interest of the child in maintaining contact with both those parents.
Given that the legal impossibility of the adoption had consistently been at the centre of their con- siderations, the domestic courts had been prevented from examining in any meaningful manner whether the adoption would be in the child’s interests. In contrast, in the case of an unmarried different-sex couple they would have been required to examine that issue. The applicants had thus been directly aff ected by the legal situation of which they com-
plained since the adoption request was aimed at obtaining legal recognition of the family life they enjoyed, all three could claim to be victims of the alleged violation.
The difference in treatment between the first and third applicants and an unmarried different-sex couple in which one partner sought to adopt the other partner’s child had been based on their sexual orientation. The case was thus to be distinguished from Gas and Dubois, in which the Court had found that there was no difference of treatment based on sexual orientation between an unmarried different- sex couple and a same-sex couple as, under French law, second-parent adoption was not open to either.
There was no obligation under Article 8 to extend the right to second-parent adoption to unmarried couples. However, given that domestic law did allow second-parent adoption in unmarried different-sex couples, the Court had to examine whether refus- ing that right to (unmarried) same-sex couples served a legitimate aim and was proportionate to that aim.
The domestic courts and the Government had argued that Austrian adoption law was aimed at recreating the circumstances of a biological family.
The protection of the family in the traditional sense was in principle a legitimate reason which could justify a difference in treatment. The same applied to the protection of the child’s interests. However, in cases where a difference in treatment based on sex or sexual orientation was concerned, the Gov- ern ment had to show that the difference in treat- ment was necessary to achieve the aim. The Gov- ernment had not provided any evidence to show that it would be detrimental to a child to be brought up by a same-sex couple or to have two mothers and two fathers for legal purposes. Moreover, under domestic law, adoption by one person, including one homosexual, was possible. If he or she had a registered partner, the latter had to consent to the adoption. The legislature therefore accepted that a child might grow up in a family based on a same- sex couple and that this was not detrimental to the child. There was also force in the applicants’ argu- ment that de facto families based on a same-sex couple existed but were refused the possibility of obtaining legal recognition and protection. These considerations cast considerable doubt on the pro- portionality of the absolute prohibition on second- parent adoption in same-sex couples.
The Government had further argued that there was no consensus among European States regarding second-parent adoption by same-sex couples and that consequently the State had a wide margin of appreciation to regulate that issue. However, the
Article 14 15 issue before the Court was not the general question
of same-sex couples’ access to second-parent adop- tion, but the difference in treatment between un- married different-sex couples and same-sex couples in respect of such adoptions. Consequently, only ten Council of Europe member States, which allowed second-parent adoption in unmarried couples, might be regarded as a basis for comparison. Within that group, six States treated heterosexual couples and same-sex couples in the same manner, while four adopted the same position as Austria. The narrow- ness of that sample did not allow conclusions to be drawn as to a possible consensus among Euro- pean States.
The instant case did not concern the question whether the applicants’ adoption request should have been granted, but the question whether the applicants had been discriminated against on ac- count of the fact that the courts had had no oppor- tunity to examine in any meaningful manner whether the requested adoption was in the second applicant’s interests, given that it was in any case legally impossible.
The Government had failed to give convincing reasons to show that excluding second-parent adoption in a same-sex couple, while allowing that possibility in an unmarried different-sex couple, was necessary for the protection of the family in the traditional sense or for the protection of the interests of the child. The distinction was therefore discriminatory.
Conclusion: violation (ten votes to seven).
Article 41: EUR 10,000 jointly in respect of non- pecuniary damage.
(See Gas and Dubois v. France, no. 25951/07, 15 March 2012, Information Note no. 150)
Total removal of applicant’s access rights on account of his attempts to transmit his religious beliefs to his child: violation
Suppression totale du droit de visite accordé au requérant, en raison de ses tentatives de transmettre ses convictions religieuses à son enfant : violation
Vojnity – Hungary/Hongrie - 29617/07 Judgment/Arrêt 12.2.2013 [Section II]
Facts – The applicant belonged to the religious denomination Hit Gyülekezete (Congregation of the Faith). In 2000 he divorced and his son, who was born in 1994, was placed with the mother. The
applicant was granted access. He twice applied without success for custody or an order varying his rights of access. In 2006 the domestic courts with- drew custody from the mother and placed the boy with his older brother. It refused to give custody to the applicant after noting a comment in an expert pyschologist’s report that the applicant held unreal- istic educational ideas hallmarked by religious fanaticism which rendered him unfit to provide the boy with a normal upbringing. Ultimately, in 2008, the courts removed the applicant’s access rights altogether, on the grounds that he had abused them by imposing his religious convictions on his son.
Law – Article 14 in conjunction with Article 8:
The decision to deprive the applicant of access rights in respect of his son had constituted an interference with his right to respect for family life. When deciding on the applicant’s suitability to contribute to his son’s development, the domestic authorities had added to their consideration the factor – that had evidently been decisive – of the applicant’s religious conviction and its possible effects on the child. The applicant’s religious convictions had thus had a direct bearing on the outcome of the matter in issue and there had been a difference of treatment between the applicant and other parents in an analogous situation. The aim pursued, namely the protection of the child’s health and rights, was legitimate. However, the rights to respect for family life and religious freedom as enshrined in Articles 8 and 9 of the Convention, together with the right to respect for parents’ philosophical and religious convictions in education, as provided in Article 2 of Protocol No. 1, conveyed on parents the right to communicate and promote their religious con- victions in their children’s upbringing. That would be an uncontested right in the case of two married parents sharing the same religious ideas or world- view and promoting them to their child, even in an insistent or overbearing manner, unless it exposed them to dangerous practices or physical or psy- chological harm. The Court saw no reason why the position of a separated or divorced parent who did not have custody of his or her child should be different per se. In the instant case there was no evidence that the applicant’s religious convictions involved dangerous practices or exposed his son to physical or psychological harm. No convincing evidence had been presented to substantiate a risk of actual harm, as opposed to the mere unease, discomfort or embarrassment which the child might have experienced on account of his father’s attempts to transmit his religious beliefs. The expert had not examined the applicant, nor had his suggestion that the applicant should be examined by a psychiatrist
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
Article 14 16
been followed up. The Government had not demon- strated the presence of exceptional circumstances which could justify a measure as radical as the total severance of contact between the applicant and his son. The domestic courts had decided to apply an absolute ban on the applicant’s access rights with- out giving any consideration to the question whether the mere suspension of access for a certain period of time or any other less severe measure that existed under Hungarian law (such as the exercise of access rights in controlled circumstances) would have sufficed to allow the child to regain his emotional balance. For the Court, the approach adopted by the authorities had amounted to a complete dis- regard of the principle of proportionality that was requisite in this field and inherent in the spirit of the Convention. Consequently, the applicant had been discriminated against on the basis of his reli- gious convictions in the exercise of his right to respect for family life.
Conclusion: violation (unanimously).
Article 41: EUR 12,500 in respect of non-pecuniary damage.
Discrimination (Article 1 of Protocol No. 1/
du Protocole no 1)
Difference in treatment of legitimate and illegitimate children for succession purposes:
violation
Différence de traitement successoral entre enfant naturel et enfant légitime : violation
Fabris – France - 16574/08 Judgment/Arrêt 7.2.2013 [GC]
En fait – Le requérant est né en 1943 de la liaison entre son père et une femme mariée, déjà mère de deux enfants issus de son union légale. En 1970, les époux M. (la mère du requérant et son mari) firent une donation-partage de leurs biens entre leurs deux enfants légitimes, se réservant l’usage des biens jusqu’à leur décès. Monsieur M. décéda en 1981 et Madame M. en 1994. En 1983, le tribunal de grande instance déclara le requérant enfant naturel de Madame M. En 1998, ce dernier assi- gna les deux enfants légitimes devant le tribunal de grande instance, sollicitant la réduction de la donation-partage afin de prétendre à sa part dans la succession de sa mère. A cette époque, la loi du 3 janvier 1972 prévoyait que les enfants adultérins pouvaient prétendre à la succession de leur père ou de leur mère à hauteur de la moitié de la part d’un enfant légitime. Après sa condamnation par la Cour en 2000 dans l’affaire Mazurek c. France, la
France modifia, par la loi du 3 décembre 2001, sa législation et accorda aux enfants adultérins des droits identiques aux enfants légitimes dans le cadre du règlement des successions. Par un jugement de septembre 2004, le tribunal de grande instance déclara l’action du requérant recevable et lui donna raison sur le fond. A la suite de l’appel des enfants légitimes, la cour d’appel infirma le jugement du tribunal. Le pourvoi en cassation du requérant fut rejeté.
Par un arrêt du 21 juillet 2011, une chambre de la Cour a conclu, par cinq voix contre deux, à la non- violation de l’article 14 de la Convention combinée avec l’article 1 du Protocole no 1 au motif que les juri dictions nationales, en appliquant les disposi- tions transitoires des lois de 1972 et de 2001, ont correctement mis en balance, d’une part, les droits acquis de longue date par les enfants légitimes des époux M. et, d’autre part, les intérêts pécuniaires du requérant.
En droit – Article 14 de la Convention combiné avec l’article 1 du Protocole no 1
a) Applicabilité de l’article 14 – C’est uniquement en considération du caractère « adultérin » de sa filiation que le requérant s’est vu refuser le droit de demander la réduction de la donation-partage faite par sa mère. Or, n’eût été ce motif discriminatoire, l’intéressé aurait eu un droit, pouvant être sanc- tionné par les tribunaux internes, sur cette valeur patrimoniale. Si la donation-partage a pour effet im médiat de réaliser un transfert de propriété, elle ne devient un partage successoral que lors du décès du donateur, soit en l’espèce en 1994. Or, à cette date, la filiation du requérant était établie. Il en résulte que les intérêts patrimoniaux du requérant entrent dans le champ d’application de l’article 1 du Protocole no 1 et du droit au respect des biens qu’il garantit, ce qui suffit à rendre l’article 14 de la Convention applicable.
b) Fond – Le requérant s’est vu privé d’une part de réserve héréditaire et placé définitivement dans une situation différente de celle des enfants légitimes quant à la succession de leur mère. Cette différence de traitement résulte de la loi de 2001, qui met comme condition à l’application des nouveaux droits successoraux des enfants « adultérins » aux succes- sions ouvertes avant le 4 décembre 2001 qu’elles n’aient pas donné lieu à un partage avant cette date.
Or, interprétant la disposition transitoire concer- née, la Cour de cassation a estimé que le partage successoral avait eu lieu en 1994, au moment du décès de la mère du requérant, suivant en cela une jurisprudence ancienne selon laquelle en matière de donation-partage la succession est à la fois ouverte
Article 14 17 et partagée par le décès du donateur. Un enfant lé-
gi time, omis de la donation-partage ou non encore conçu lors de celle-ci, ne se serait pas vu opposer un tel obstacle pour obtenir sa réserve ou sa part héréditaire. Il n’est dès lors pas contesté que la différence de traitement subie par le requérant a pour seul motif sa naissance hors mariage.
L’Etat français a accepté de modifier sa législation à la suite de l’arrêt Mazurek, précité, et a réformé le droit des successions en abrogeant l’ensemble des dispositions discriminatoires à l’égard de l’en- fant « adultérin ». Toutefois, selon le Gouvernement, il n’était pas possible de porter atteinte aux droits acquis par les tiers, en l’occurrence les autres héritiers, et cela a justifié de limiter l’effet rétroactif de la loi de 2001 aux seules successions qui étaient ouvertes à la date de sa publication et n’avaient pas donné lieu à partage à cette date. Les dispositions transitoires auraient ainsi été aménagées pour ga- rantir la paix des familles en sécurisant les droits acquis des bénéficiaires de successions déjà partagées.
Sous la réserve de l’action en réduction prévue par la loi, le demi-frère et la demi-sœur du requérant ont obtenu des droits patrimoniaux par l’effet de la donation-partage de 1970, celle-ci opérant par- tage successoral lors du décès de la mère en 1994.
Cette circonstance permet de distinguer la présente affaire de l’affaire Mazurek, où le partage successoral n’avait pas encore été réalisé. Cependant, « la pro- tection de la « confiance » du de cujus et de sa famille doit s’effacer devant l’impératif de l’éga lité de trai- tement entre enfants nés hors mariage et enfants issus du mariage ». A cet égard, le demi-frère et la demi-sœur du requérant savaient, ou auraient dû savoir, que leurs droits pouvaient se voir remis en cause. En effet, lors du décès de leur mère en 1994, la loi prévoyait un délai de cinq ans pour exercer une action en réduction de la donation-partage.
Leur demi-frère pouvait demander sa part hérédi- taire jusqu’en 1999 et cette action était susceptible de remettre en cause, non pas le partage comme tel, mais l’étendue des droits de chacun des des- cendants. Par ailleurs, l’action en réduction que le requérant avait finalement engagée en 1998 était pendante devant les juridictions nationales au mo- ment du prononcé de l’arrêt Mazurek, qui déclarait incompatible avec la Convention une inégalité successorale fondée sur la naissance hors mariage, et de la publication de la loi de 2001, qui donnait exécution à cet arrêt en incorporant en droit français les principes qui y étaient affirmés. Enfin, le requérant n’était pas un descendant dont ils ignoraient l’existence, car il avait été reconnu comme fils naturel de leur mère par un jugement rendu en 1983. Ceci suffisait à nourrir des doutes justifiés sur la réalité du partage successoral réalisé. Sur ce
dernier point, dans les circonstances particulières de l’espèce, où la jurisprudence européenne et les réformes législatives nationales montraient une tendance claire vers la suppression de toute discri- mination des enfants nés hors mariage s’agissant de leurs droits héréditaires, le recours exercé par le requérant en 1998 devant le juge national et rejeté par celui-ci en 2007 pèse lourd dans l’examen de la proportionnalité de la différence de traitement.
Le fait que ce recours était toujours pendant en 2001 ne pouvait, en effet, que relativiser l’attente des autres héritiers de Madame M. de se voir recon- naître des droits incontestés sur la succession de celle-ci. Aussi, le but légitime de la protection des droits successoraux du demi-frère et de la demi- sœur du requérant n’était pas d’un poids tel qu’il dût l’emporter sur la prétention du requérant d’obtenir une part de l’héritage de sa mère. Au demeurant, il semble que, même aux yeux des auto rités nationales, les attentes des héritiers ayant bénéficié d’une donation-partage ne sont pas à pro téger en toutes circonstances. En effet, si la même action en réduction de la donation-partage avait été exercée au même moment par un autre enfant légitime, né après celle-ci ou volontairement exclu du partage, cette fin de non-recevoir ne lui aurait pas été opposée.
Ainsi, il n’existait pas de rapport raisonnable de proportionnalité entre les moyens employés et le but légitime poursuivi. La différence de traitement dont le requérant a fait l’objet n’avait donc pas de justification objective et raisonnable.
Conclusion : violation (unanimité).
Article 41 : question réservée.
(Voir Mazurek c. France, no 34406/97, 1er février 2000, Note d’information no 15)
Alleged discrimination in payments to military reservists on grounds of place of residence: case referred to the Grand Chamber Allégation de discrimination fondée sur le lieu de résidence dans le cadre des versements au profit des réservistes de l’armée : affaire renvoyée devant la Grande Chambre
Vučković and Others/et autres – Serbia/Serbie - 17153/11 et al.
Judgment/Arrêt 28.8.2012 [Section II]
The applicants were reservists who had been drafted by the Yugoslav Army in connection with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s intervention in Serbia. They remained in military service be-
European Court of Human Rights / Information Note no. 160 – February 2013
18 Article 14 – Article 35 § 1
tween March and June 1999 and were thus entitled to a per diem. However, following demobilisation the Government refused to honour their obligation to pay the per diem. Following protracted nego- tiations, the Government reached an agreement on 11 January 2008 with reservists residing in certain “underdeveloped” municipalities under the terms of which the reservists concerned were guaranteed payment in monthly instalments. The agreement did not extend to reservists such as the applicants who did not reside in those munici- palities. In their applications to the European Court the applicants alleged that they had been discriminated against on grounds of residence.
In a judgment of 28 August 2012, a Chamber of the Court held by six votes to one that there had been a violation of Article 14 of the Convention read in conjunction with Article 1 of Protocol No. 1.
It noted that the applicants’ complaints con cerned rights of a sufficiently pecuniary nature to fall within the ambit of Article 1 of Protocol No. 1 and that the applicants had allegedly been discriminated against on the grounds of their registered residence.
Article 14 was therefore applicable. The payments referred to in the agreement of 11 January 2008 were clearly per diems, not social benefits awarded to persons in need. The agreement provided that reservists residing in certain named municipalities would be guaranteed gradual payment of part of their entitlements. These municipalities had ap- parently been chosen because of their “under- developed status”, which implied that reservists resident in them were indigent. However, the re- erv ists concerned had never not required to provide any proof of indigence. Conversely, the applicants and other reservists not resident in the municipalities were unable to benefit from the agreement, irre- spective of their means. The arrangements put in place had thus been arbitrary and there had been no “objective and reasonable justification” for the difference in treatment.
The Chamber further noted that more than 3,000 applications raising the same discrimination issue were currently pending before the Court and dir- ected the Government to take all appropriate meas- ures to secure non-discriminatory payment of the per diems to all those entitled, within six months from the date on which the Court’s judgment be- came final.1
On 11 February 2013 the case was referred to the Grand Chamber at the Government’s request.
1. In view of the referral of the case to the Grand Chamber, the Chamber judgment will not become final (see Article 44 of the Convention).
ARTICLE 35
Article 35 § 1 Six-month period/Délai de six mois Submission of original application form outside eight weeks allowed by Practice Direction on the Institution of Proceedings:inadmissible
Original du formulaire de requête déposé en dehors du délai de huit semaines fixé par l’Instruction pratique sur l’introduction de l’instance : irrecevable
Abdulrahman – Netherlands/Pays-Bas - 66994/12 Decision/Décision 5.2.2013 [Section III]
Facts – The applicant, an Iraqi national, complained of a refusal by the Netherlands authorities to grant him a residence permit. The final domestic ruling in respect of his first request for such a permit was sent to him on 24 April 2012 and the regional- court judgment in respect of his second request on 5 April 2012. On 5 October 2012 the applicant’s representative sent a fax to the Court Registry stating that the applicant wished to lodge a complaint under Article 8 of the Convention. On 18 October 2012 the applicant’s representative was notified by the Registry, pursuant to Rule 47 § 5 of the Rules of Court and paragraph 4 of the Practice Direction on the Institution of Proceedings, that he had to return the application form to the Court not later than 13 December 2012 (within eight weeks from the date of the Registry’s letter) otherwise the date of submission of the completed application form would be taken as the date of introduction of the application. Under cover of a letter dated 13 De- cember 2012 the applicant’s representative submit- ted the original duly completed and signed ap pli- cation form of the same date, an original authority form duly signed by both the applicant and the representative, and copies of relevant supporting documents. The envelope was postmarked 14 De- cember 2012.
Law – Article 35 § 1: The date on which the envelope containing the original application form had been postmarked, namely 14 December 2012, should be considered as the date of introduction of the application in the instant case. Since the six- month period for submitting an application to the Court had started to run on 25 April 2012 in re- spect of the applicant’s first request for a residence
