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Handover of Prisoners to Iraq by the British
The British authorities ignored an order for temporary measures of the European Court of Human Rights in the very last days of 2008. The case concerned Iraqi detainees, held by British military in Iraq, who were transferred to the Iraqi authorities. This…
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From Max to Nadine: Judgment on Transsexuals
Changing one’s gender is undoubtedly one of the most far-reaching decisions a human being can make. Last week, the Court issued its judgment in an important case on the issue: Schlumpf v. Switzerland. Nadine Schlumpf, born in 1937 as Max Schlumpf, decided…
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Police Violence Cases
Last week, the Court issued two judgments on police violence, one concerning Spain, the other concerning Greece. In the Spanish case, Iribarren Pinillos, the applicant had been severely wounded when during a riot the police fired a smoke-bomb at him. When an…
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Non-Compliance with Interim Measures
A few days before Christmas the Court passed judgment in the case of Aleksanyan v. Russia. The applicant in the case was the former head of the legal department of the now dissolved Russian energy giant Yukos (one of their gas stations…
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New Articles for the New Year
Happy new year to all readers; a special year ahead with the 50th anniversary of the Court in sight! Three recent articles might be of interest to you, two of which deal explicitly with the effectiveness of the Convention machinery. The first…
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Last Post of 2008
With almost 20,000 pageviews from nearly a 100 countries since its start at the end of May, this weblog has gathered a large group of readers. It is to you all that I would like to extend my thanks, for it is…
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Article on Impartiality of ECtHR Judges
Professor Eric Voeten of Georgetown University has just published the article ‘The Impartiality of International Judges: Evidence from the European Court of Human Rights’ in the most recent issue (vol. 102, issue 4, 2008) of the American Political Science Review. This is…
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Television Commercials for Political Parties
The regulation of advertising for political parties on television is an issue hotly debated in many countries. In Norway there is a complete ban on such advertising. Thus when a local television station (TV Vest) broadcasted adverts for the Pensioners Party, it…
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Systemic Problems of Romanian Restitution
Last week, the Court gave a pilot-like judgment in the case of Viasu v. Romania. The applicant in the case tried in vain to have a compensation order under current Romanian restitution legislation enforced. Viasu’s plot of land had been nationalised in…
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Happy Birthday Universal Declaration!
Today it is exactly 60 years ago that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. A reason to celebrate and to emphasize the enduring value and necessity of this document, especially in the…
