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Today (1 August 2021) the Protocol No. 15 amending the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms has entered into force. This Protocol will apply in all 47 States Parties. Although it was open for signature/ratification since 2013, the ratification of Italy only occurred until 21 April 2021.

In the past, we have highlighted in this blog the increasing interaction between human rights and private international law and the need to interpret them harmoniously (see for example our previous posts here (HCCH Child Abduction Convention) and here (transnational surrogacy))

Protocol No. 15 has introduced important amendments to the text of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR). In particular, it has included the principle of subsidiary and the doctrine of the margin of appreciation in the preamble, which have long and consistently been adopted by the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), and thus this is a welcome amendment.

It will now read as follows (art. 1 of the Protocol):

“Affirming  that  the  High  Contracting  Parties,  in  accordance  with  the  principle  of subsidiarity, have the primary responsibility to secure the rights and freedoms defined in this Convention and the Protocols thereto, and that in doing so they enjoy a margin of appreciation,  subject  to  the supervisory  jurisdiction  of  the  European  Court  of  Human Rights established by this Convention”.

Of great important is the shortening of the time for the filing of an application in accordance with article 35 of the ECHR: from 6 to 4 months. This amendment will enter into force 6 months later (I assume on 1 February 2022). Articles 4 and 8(3) of the Protocol state the following:

Article 4

“In Article 35, paragraph 1 of the Convention, the words “within a period of six months” shall be replaced by the words “within a period of four months”.

Article 8(3)

“Article 4 of this Protocol shall enter into force following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of entry into force of this Protocol. Article 4 of this Protocol shall not apply to applications  in  respect  of  which  the  final  decision  within  the  meaning  of  Article  35, paragraph 1 of the Convention was taken prior to the date of entry into force of Article 4 of this Protocol” (our emphasis).

This is perhaps a reaction to the increasing workload of the Court, which seems to be of serious concern to the States Parties. In particular, the Brighton declaration has noted that “the number of applications made each year to the Court has doubled since 2004. Very large numbers of applications are now pending before all of the Court’s primary judicial formations. Many applicants, including those with a potentially well-founded application, have to wait for years for a response.” Undoubtedly, this may compromise the effectiveness and reliability of the ECtHR. Nevertheless, this reduction of the filing time may also leave out cases that are well founded but during which the parties were late in realising that such recourse / legal challenge was available.

Lastly, I would like to highlight the removal of the right of the parties to object to the relinquishment of jurisdiction to the Grand Chamber in certain circumstances, such as when a case pending before a Chamber raises a serious question affecting the interpretation of the ECHR or its protocols (art. 3 of the Protocol and art. 30 ECHR). In my view, this is an improvement and avoids delays as it allows the Chamber to make that call. It also provides consistency to the case law of the ECtHR. As to its entry into force, article 8(2) of the Protocol sets out the following:

“The amendment introduced by Article 3 of this Protocol shall not apply to any pending case in which one of the parties has objected, prior to the date of entry into force of this Protocol, to a proposal by a Chamber of the Court to relinquish jurisdiction in favour of the Grand Chamber”

 

 

Since 2000, the European Legal Forum informs about developments in various areas of the European ius commune. Special emphasis is placed on private international law, European and international civil procedure, family law and successions. The EuLF is directed at an international readership and provides researchers and legal practitioners with in-depth information on current developments in case law and legislation.

The Board of Editors is pleased to invite manuscripts in English on the above topics, but also other areas of international law and European Union law, in the form of articles, case summaries and book reviews.

Papers submitted by 1 October 2021 will be reviewed for publication in the autumn/winter editions 2021/2022.

Papers may be submitted via e-mail. Please feel free to contact us for any queries and additional information: redaktion@unalex.eu

Cour d'appel d'Aix-en-Provence

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Versailles du 16 février 2021

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Versailles du 16 février 2021

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Versailles du 16 février 2021

Pourvoi c. décision Cour d'appel de Versailles du 16 février 2021

Pourvoi c. décision Cour d'appel de Versailles du 16 février 2021

Tribunal judiciaire de Douai

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Riom du 12 janvier 2021

Puigdemont i Casamajó e.a. / Parlement
Le vice-président du Tribunal de l’Union européenne rejette la demande de suspension de la levée de l’immunité parlementaire de MM. Carles Puigdemont i Casamajó et Antoni Comín i Oliveres ainsi que de Mme Clara Ponsatí i Obiols

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Paris du 3 mars 2021

“Comment concilier, au vu notamment de la décision n° 2010-8 QPC du 18 juin 2010 du Conseil constitutionnel :

les dispositions localement toujours en vigueur du décret modifié n° 57-245 du 24.02.1957, promulgué par l'arrêté n° 2079 du 25.11.1957 (JONC des 9 et 16.12.1957, p. 672) ?” sur la réparation et la prévention des accidents du travail et des maladies professionnelles dans les Territoires d'Outre-Mer, et notamment ses articles 34 et 35,

les dispositions des articles 6-1 et suivants de l'ordonnance n° 92-1146 du 12 octobre 1992 portant extension et adaptation dans les territoires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, de Polynésie Française et des îles Wallis et Futuna, de certaines dispositions de la loi n° 85-677 du 5 juillet 1985 tendant à l'amélioration de la situation des victimes d'accidents de la circulation et à l'accélération des procédures d'indemnisation,

et les dispositions de l'article 7 de l'ordonnance n° 2013-516 du 20 juin 2013 portant actualisation du droit civil applicable en Nouvelle-Calédonie et dans les îles Wallis et Futuna, qui créent une nouvelle sous-section étendant à la Nouvelle-Calédonie et aux îles Wallis et Futuna les règles relatives aux tiers payeurs de la loi du 5 juillet 1985,
Au regard des demandes formulées en Nouvelle-Calédonie par la caisse des allocations familiales et des accidents de travail (CAFAT), dont les missions sont comparables à la caisse primaire d'assurance maladie (CPAM), à l'encontre de l'employeur dont la faute inexcusable a été établie, tendant au remboursement des débours correspondant généralement aux préjudices patrimoniaux temporaires décomposés en :

dépenses des santé actuelles (frais d'hospitalisation, de radiologie, de pharmacie, de kinésithérapie, de laboratoire et de prothèses),
pertes de gains professionnels actuels (indemnités journalières) ?”

Pourvoi c. déc. Cour d'appel de Lyon du 26 janvier 2021

Tribunal judiciaire de Paris

Tribunal judiciaire de Boulogne-sur-Mer

Jindal Society of International Law, in pursuance of fostering fruitful conversations on international law, is delighted to present and host the Fall Lecture Series of 2021, titled ‘Exploring the Ecosystem of International Law’. The lecture on ‘Private Law Remedy for Breaches of International Law Norms’ is the first lecture in this twenty-three part lecture series, which is being held from August to November 2021.

About Jindal Society of International Law

The Jindal Society of International Law is a student-led initiative under the aegis of the Centre for the Study of United Nations of Jindal Global Law School, and the guidance of Faculty Coordinator Professor (Dr.) Vesselin Popovski. Founded in 2020, this Society is an initiative to provide a platform to young international law enthusiasts.The purpose of this Society is to increase student interaction with the subject matter of International Law through its various initiatives. Rather than being primarily research-driven, we intend to offer a host of experiences that contribute towards skill-building, thereby increasing the knowledge database available to students. This Society is an attempt to bridge the lacuna by streamlining resources and inculcating an overall interest in the vast expanses of International Law. We aim to provide a space to young international law enthusiasts to nurture their interest in the field.

About the Lecture Series ‘Exploring the Ecosystem of International Law’

Our Fall Lecture Series of 2021, ‘Exploring the Ecosystem of International Law’, builds upon the introduction given on internationalism and international law by the concluded Spring Lecture Series, titled ‘Future of Internationalism and International Law’. The Fall Series endeavours to study the different contours of international law. To assist in this study, the speakers will cover and address their respective areas of expertise, based upon their years of research and practice. Given the vast ecosystem and the engagement of international law in it, the Society aims to study the fragmentation and fertilisation of the various disciplines in this ecosystem.

The lowest common denominator in this Fall Lecture Series is to enhance and provide a deeper understanding of international law through international lawyers. The Society, for its Members, is a well of knowledge and a quorum of thought provoking discussions, which will be resultant of this engagement with experts aimed at exploring the ecosystem of international law.

About the Lecture ‘Private Remedy for Breaches of International Law Norms’

The first lecture of our Fall 2021 Lecture Series, ‘Exploring the Ecosystem of International Law’, is on the topic ‘Private Remedy for Breaches of International Law Norms’. The lecture will be hosted online and is scheduled for 17:00 IST on 6th August 2021. The distinguished speaker for this lecture is Ms. Vasuda Sinha and with this lecture being the inaugural session, the opening remarks shall be given by Professor Dr. Vesselin Popovski.

Join Us for this Interesting Lecture!

In order to be a part of this lecture, attendees are requested to register themselves for the lecture through the following the link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/164448390563. Kindly register yourself as soon as possible to not miss out on this lecture, given that there are limited number of seats!

The lecture will be held online on Zoom and will also be simultaneously be live-streamed on YouTube. The registration link provides for all the necessary information regarding this.

For any further queries or for additional information regarding the Fall 2021 Lecture Series or other initiatives of Jindal Society of International Law, kindly visit our website.You can also follow and engage with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram!

 

A thought-provoking and much welcome contribution was posted by Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Burkhard Hess on SSRN, setting the stage for the discussion on the status quo in the application and the prospects of the Brussels IbisRegulation.

The article, titled “Reforming the Brussels Ibis Regulation: Perspectives and Prospects”, may be retrieved here.

The abstract reads as follows:

According to article 79 of Regulation (EU) 1215/2012, the EU Commission shall present a report on the application of the Brussels Ibis Regulation by 11 January 2022. This paper intends to open the discussion about the present state of affairs and the necessary adjustments of the Regulation. Although there is no need to change its basic structure, the relationship of the Brussels Ibis Regulation with other EU instruments (as the General Data Protection Regulation) should be reviewed. There is also a need to address third-State relationships and cross-border collective redress. In addition, the paper addresses several inconsistencies within the present Regulation evidenced by the case law of the CJEU: such as the concept of contract (article 7 no 1), the place of damage (article 7 no 2), the protection of privacy and the concept of consumers (articles 17 – 19). Finally, some implementing procedural rules of the EU Member States should be harmonised, i.e. on the assessment of jurisdiction by national courts, on judicial communication and on procedural time limits. Overall, the upcoming review of the Brussels Ibis Regulation opens up an opportunity to improve further a central and widely accepted instrument of the European law of civil procedure.

The new issue of International & Comparative Law Quarterly (Volume 70, Issue 3) is out. Some of articles concern directly or indirectly questions of private international law. Their abstracts are provided below.

The whole issue is available here. Some of articles are available in open access.

A. Poon, Determining the Place of Performance under Article 7(1) of the Brussels I Recast, pp. 635-663

This article calls for a reassessment of the methodology in determining the place of contractual performance under Article 7(1) of the Brussels I Regulation Recast. The first part of the article deals with Article 7(1)(a). It argues that in light of the adoption of autonomous linking factors under Article 7(1)(b), more types of contracts presently not covered within the ambits of Article 7(1)(b) should centralise jurisdiction at the places of performance of their characteristic obligations. The second part of the article considers the way Article 7(1) operates when there are multiple places of performance under the contract. The test devised by the Court of Justice of the European Union in this regard is not only difficult to apply, but the application of the test also often does not guarantee a close connection between the claim and the court taking jurisdiction. This article argues that when a claim is made in respect of a contractual obligation to be performed in more than one Member State, Article 4 should be applied instead of Article 7(1).

A. Xu, A New Solution Concerning Choice-of-Law for the Assignment of Debts, pp. 665-696. Available in open access.

This article explores a solution to the choice-of-law issues concerning both voluntary and involuntary assignments arising in a domestic forum. The focus is on English private international law rules relating to cross-border assignments. A distinction is made between primary and extended parties as the foundation for choice-of-law analysis. Drawing on insights from the distinction of the use value and exchange value of debts found in economics, this article proposes a new analytical framework for choice-of-law based on a modified choice-of-law theory of interest-analysis.

S. Caserta, P. Cebulak, Resilience Techniques of International Courts in Times of Resistance to International Law, pp. 737-768

International courts are increasingly called upon to adjudicate socially divisive disputes. They are therefore exposed to a heightened risk of backlash that questions their authority and impedes the implementation of their judgments. This article puts forward an analytical framework for mapping the resilience techniques used by international courts to counter this growing resistance. Case studies involve the Court of Justice of the European Union, which has been cautious in its stance regarding democratic backsliding in Hungary and Poland, and the Caribbean Court of Justice, which has engaged in legal diplomacy while adjudicating both on the land rights of indigenous groups and on Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI) rights. It is argued that, in order to effectively avoid and mitigate backlash, international courts should deploy resilience techniques that go beyond merely exercising their judicial function. The successful deployment of resilience techniques can allow international courts to become significant actors in global governance during a time of crisis for the international liberal order.

Non lieu à renvoi