Access to justice and the right to a fair trial are basic human rights explicitly stipulated in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as well as in the Swedish constitution. The fundamental meaning of these rights is that everyone should have an effective option for bringing their case to a court governed by the rule of law. Counsel fees and other process-costs may constitute a significant barrier to entry for an individual bringing his or her case to the court. Consequently, such cost-related barriers may deprive individuals of their right to a fair trial in practice. This fact is recognised in many legislations through legal aid provisions, reimbursement rules or similar mechanisms with the common purpose of eliminating, or at least lowering, the cost-barrier in question for the individual. Tax cases are often complex, and the average taxpayer would typically need to obtain legal counsel to vindicate his or her rights in a dispute with the tax authority. The taxpayer’s costs for such vindication may consequently be high. Swedish legislation stipulates that such costs under certain circumstances can be reimbursed by the state. In practice, however, the taxpayer seldom gets reimbursed for the full cost or even the majority of the cost, regardless of the outcome of the case. Even if the taxpayer wins the court case against the tax authority, it is not unusual that the taxpayer gets no reimbursement at all. This thesis analyses the Swedish reimbursement model for process-costs in tax cases and how it relates to the right to a fair trial. The question is whether the relevant legislation, and/or the courts’ application of it, risks being in breach of the ECHR’s and/or the Swedish constitution’s stipulated right to a fair trial. This thesis argues that it does; not as a result of the legislation itself, but because of the courts’ application of it. The risk of violating the right to a fair trial correlates primarily with two factors. These are what are at stake for the taxpayer (typically the disputed tax amount) and the complexity of the legal issues involved in the case. Trigger points for when the respective factor comes into play from a human rights perspective are analysed and discussed in the thesis. When they do, the absence of real possibilities of reimbursement of process-costs in a given tax case may constitute an unacceptable barrier for the individual to access justice and get a fair trial.

"This paper deals with the prosecution of a crime of crimes, genocide, at international and national levels. The international community has shown interest in penalizing perpetrators of gross human rights violations since the Nuremberg trial, and then the adoption of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention. After these times, significant numbers of international tribunals, although at an ad hoc level, have been established to punish gross violations of human rights including the crime of genocide. Along with these tribunals, quite a number of national courts have engaged in the prosecution of genocide. Nevertheless, due to legal and practical problems, the two legal systems are adopting different approaches to handle the matter, although the crime is one and the same. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to assess critically where the difference lies, the cause and impact of the disparity on the rights of the accused to fair trial. Moreover, the study will posit some recommendations that might assist to ameliorate this intermittent situation." -- Synopsis. "This work consists of five chapters. Chapter one is addressing the general introduction of the work, and it has already been discussed. Chapter two deals with the crime of genocide and its criminal responsibility as indicated under different national and international laws. The third chapter is devoted to focus on the right to fair trial and the prosecution of genocide, and specifically addresses the issues of the right to legal assistance, speedy trial, obtain and examine evidence, and sentencing. In chapter four the role of the Rome Statue in protecting the rights of the accused, its impact on on national laws, the complementarities of the International Criminal Court and national courts will be discussed. Finally, the work will come to an end by giving concluding remarks and recommendations under the fifth chapter." -- Introduction. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa)) -- University of Pretoria, 2003. / Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Henry Onoria at the Faculty of Law, Makerere University, Kampala / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/academic_pro/llm1/dissertations.html / Centre for Human Rights / LLM

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Text in Afrikaans / In the past, witness statements obtained by or on behalf of a party to a criminal case were protected, from disclosure to the opponent, by privilege. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate whether such claims to privilege are justified and whether openness before and during the trial is not perhaps more important to the interests of justice. The disclosure of witness statements to the defence is a commonly recognized practice all over the world. This practice enhances openness before and during the criminal trial. The arguments against and in favor of such a practice are many, but investigation into these has shown that it is in the interests of justice to disclose such statements to the defence, rather than to deny access. Furthermore, the writer investigates whether it would be in the interests of justice to compel the defence to assist the court in determining the truth. / In die verlede is getuieverklarings wat deur of ten behoewe van 'n party tot 'n strafsaak bekom is deur privilegie beskerm, teen openbaarmaking aan die teenstander. Verskeie argumente is aangevoer om die beroep op getuieverklaring privilegie te regverdig. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om ondersoek in te stel of sulke aansprake geregverdig is en of openheid voor en gedurende die verhoor nie meer belangrik vir die belang van geregtigheid is nie. Die openbaarmaking van getuieverklarings aan die verdediging is 'n algemeen erkende praktyk regoor die wereld. Hierdie praktyk bevorder openheid voor en tydens die strafverhoor. Die argumente vir en teen so 'n praktyk is baie en 'n ondersoek daarvan dui daarop dat dit in die belang van geregtigheid is om sulke verklarings aan die verdediging te openbaar, eerder as om toegang daartoe te weier. Die vraag is nou of dit nie ook in die belang van geregtigheid is dat die verdediging verplig word om die hof by te staan om die waarheid vas te stel nie. Ten slotte het die skrywer aan die hand gedoen dat partye tot 'n straf saak getuieverklarings gelyktydig voor die verhoor uitruil en ondersoek ingestel of so 'n praktyk in ooreenstemming met die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika 108 van 1996 kan wees. / Law / LL.M.

The Zuma case - important as the first decision of the Constitutional Court - is primarily concerned with the constitutionality of section 217(l)(b)(ii) of the Criminal Procedure Act. In trying to fmd an answer to this question, the Constitutional Court also addressed other important issues. In this dissertation the Constitutional Court's decision on the constitutionality of section 217(1)(b)(ii) is examined, as well as important general principles laid down by the Court regarding incompetent referrals by the Supreme Court; constitutional interpretation; reverse onus provisions and the right to a fair trial; as well as the application of the general limitation clause. A closer look is taken at adherence to these principles in subsequent Constitutional Court decisions, and finally a conclusion is reached on the value of the Zuma case. / Law / LL.M. (Law)

L’influence du droit issu de la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme sur le droit interne n’est plus à démontrer. Ce texte offre aux justiciables une protection accentuée de leurs droits fondamentaux. Cette affirmation ne doit pas être limitée aux droits que la Convention EDH contient expressément ou encore à ceux que la Cour de Strasbourg a elle-même dégagés grâce à son interprétation dynamique et évolutive. Entendues comme les moyens permettant de contester un acte juridictionnel, les voies de recours ne correspondent pas, en tant que telles, à un droit protégé par le système européen des droits de l’homme. Ce n’est pas pour autant qu’elles sont ignorées de ce dernier. Au contraire, elles bénéficient de toute l’attention des juges européens. Construite à partir des décisions et arrêts rendus par les organes de contrôle européens, la thèse met en évidence les relations entretenues entre la Convention EDH et les voies de recours. Il est alors indispensable d’identifier précisément le type de relations dont il s’agit. Si ces deux mécanismes ont en point commun l’idée de contrôle, les juges européens n’interviennent qu’à l’issue de la procédure interne à laquelle participent les voies de recours. Cette organisation permet de mettre pleinement en lumière le regard que la Cour de Strasbourg porte sur les voies de recours au moment de réaliser son propre contrôle. Il faut alors observer que son appréhension des voies de recours n’est pas univoque. La Cour ne fait pas que contrôler la mise en œuvre par les voies de recours des garanties procédurales contenues dans la Convention. Ces dernières sont également un moyen utilisé par la Cour européenne afin de s’assurer du respect de l’ensemble des droits conventionnels. La découverte de ces dimensions pose la question d’une qualification globale des relations entre la Convention européenne des droits de l’homme et les voies de recours. L’utilisation des voies de recours au cœur du contrôle de conventionnalité, en qualité d’instrument ou d’objet, montre que ces relations favorisent un renforcement mutuel des voies de recours comme du système de protection des droits conventionnels. / The influence of the law stemming from the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms no longer need to be demonstrated. This text provides people with an increased protection of their fundamental rights. This assertion can not be restricted to the rights that are clearly stated in the Convention or those that are drawn by the European Court of Human Rights thanks to its dynamic and evolutional interpretation. Remedies constitute a way to contest a judicial decision. On account of this definition, they do not correspond to a right directly protected by the European human rights system. That does not mean they are ignored by this system. On the contrary, European judges give their full attention to them. This thesis built up from the European decisions and judgments underscores the relations between the European Convention and remedies. It is therefore necessary to determine what kind of relations. If those two mechanisms have the idea of control in common, the European judges intervene only when the domestic proceedings in which remedies are brought is ended. This organization allows to highlight the way the European Court looks upon remedies when it carries out its own control. The way it grasps remedies is then not univocal. The European Court does not only control the enforcement of procedural guarantees of the Convention by remedies. These guarantees also are a means used by the European Court to ascertain the respect of all Convention rights. The discovery of these two aspects asks for a global qualification of the relations between the European Convention and remedies. Remedies’ use in the heart of the review of conventionality, as an instrument or an object, shows that these relations favour a mutual strengthening of remedies as well as the Convention rights system of protection.

Šiuolaikinė tarptautinė teisė įtvirtina pagarbą žmogaus teisėms bei užtikrina šių teisių įgyvendinimą šalių nacionalinėje teisėje. Žmogaus teisės apima įvairias asmens teises ir laisves, tačiau kad šios teisės būtų realiai įgyvendinamos visų pirma būtina užtikrinti teisę į asmens teisių ir laisvių gynybą. Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucijoje įtvirtinta teisė kreiptis į teismą. Teisė į teismą savo apimtimi yra gerokai siauresnė, nei teisė į teisingą teisinį procesą, tačiau neužtikrinus pirmosios nebus įmanoma ir antroji, ką ne kartą savo nutarimuose yra pabrėžės ir Lietuvos Konstitucinis Teismas. Šio magistro baigiamojo darbo tikslas išanalizuoti ir nustatyti teisės į teisingą teisinį procesą įtvirtinimo Lietuvos Konstitucinio teismo ir kitų valstybių konstitucinės kontrolės institucijų jurisprudencijoje teorinius ir praktinius aspektus. Darbo pradžioje aptariamas žmogaus teisių įgyvendinimas demokratinėje visuomenė, trumpai apžvelgiant jų istorinę raidą ir teisinį įtvirtinimą. Antrajame skyriuje nagrinėjama teisės į teisingą teismą samprata ir jos pagrindiniai elementai Europos žmogaus teisių ir pagrindinių laisvių apsaugos konvencijos aspektu, bei atsižvelgiant į jų įtvirtinimą Lietuvos teisinėje sistemoje. Trečiasis skyrius skiriamas teisės į teisingą teisinį procesą sampratos lyginamajai analizei, t.y. analizuojama teisės į teisingą teisinį procesą sampratos interpretavimas Lietuvos Konstitucinio, Lietuvos Aukščiausiojo ir Lietuvos vyriausiojo administracinio teismų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Contemporary international law declares the respect to human rights and guarantees the implementation of these rights in the national law of states. Human rights involve various rights and freedoms, but in purpose the mentioned rights could be implemented in reality, first of all it is necessary to guarantee the right of protection of human rights and freedoms. The human right to apply to the court is set in the Constitution of Republic of Lithuania. Right to trial is much more tight than right to a fair legal process, but if the first is not guaranteed, it is not possible and the second one, this was pointed in the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Lithuania for several times. The aim of the present thesis is to analyze and to determine the theoretical and practical aspects of fixation of the right to fair legal process in the jurisprudence of Constitutional Court of Lithuania and of institutions of constitutional control of other states. The thesis begins with review of implementation of human rights in democratic society, with short review of historical development and legal fixation. The second part analyses the concept of right to a fair trial and it‘s basic elements in the aspect of Convention of the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, considering their fixation in the legal system of Lithuania. The third part of thesis is designed for the comparative analysis of concept of right to a fair legal process i.e. analyses interpretation of concept... [to full text]

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Text in Afrikaans / In the past, witness statements obtained by or on behalf of a party to a criminal case were protected, from disclosure to the opponent, by privilege. The purpose of this dissertation is to investigate whether such claims to privilege are justified and whether openness before and during the trial is not perhaps more important to the interests of justice. The disclosure of witness statements to the defence is a commonly recognized practice all over the world. This practice enhances openness before and during the criminal trial. The arguments against and in favor of such a practice are many, but investigation into these has shown that it is in the interests of justice to disclose such statements to the defence, rather than to deny access. Furthermore, the writer investigates whether it would be in the interests of justice to compel the defence to assist the court in determining the truth. / In die verlede is getuieverklarings wat deur of ten behoewe van 'n party tot 'n strafsaak bekom is deur privilegie beskerm, teen openbaarmaking aan die teenstander. Verskeie argumente is aangevoer om die beroep op getuieverklaring privilegie te regverdig. Die doel van hierdie verhandeling is om ondersoek in te stel of sulke aansprake geregverdig is en of openheid voor en gedurende die verhoor nie meer belangrik vir die belang van geregtigheid is nie. Die openbaarmaking van getuieverklarings aan die verdediging is 'n algemeen erkende praktyk regoor die wereld. Hierdie praktyk bevorder openheid voor en tydens die strafverhoor. Die argumente vir en teen so 'n praktyk is baie en 'n ondersoek daarvan dui daarop dat dit in die belang van geregtigheid is om sulke verklarings aan die verdediging te openbaar, eerder as om toegang daartoe te weier. Die vraag is nou of dit nie ook in die belang van geregtigheid is dat die verdediging verplig word om die hof by te staan om die waarheid vas te stel nie. Ten slotte het die skrywer aan die hand gedoen dat partye tot 'n straf saak getuieverklarings gelyktydig voor die verhoor uitruil en ondersoek ingestel of so 'n praktyk in ooreenstemming met die Grondwet van Suid-Afrika 108 van 1996 kan wees. / Law / LL.M.

The Zuma case - important as the first decision of the Constitutional Court - is primarily concerned with the constitutionality of section 217(l)(b)(ii) of the Criminal Procedure Act. In trying to fmd an answer to this question, the Constitutional Court also addressed other important issues. In this dissertation the Constitutional Court's decision on the constitutionality of section 217(1)(b)(ii) is examined, as well as important general principles laid down by the Court regarding incompetent referrals by the Supreme Court; constitutional interpretation; reverse onus provisions and the right to a fair trial; as well as the application of the general limitation clause. A closer look is taken at adherence to these principles in subsequent Constitutional Court decisions, and finally a conclusion is reached on the value of the Zuma case. / Law / LL.M. (Law)

Le moyen d’ordre public joue un rôle fondamental dans le contentieux relevant de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne. Ce moyen peut être défini comme celui qui tend à la garantie des règles et valeurs essentielles de l’ordre juridique européen. Il poursuit une finalité résolument objective et tend à la garantie des répartitions des compétences juridictionnelles et décisionnelles, au respect des formes essentielles de toutes procédures, au respect de certains droits fondamentaux d’ordre essentiellement procédural, voire à la sauvegarde de certaines règles substantielles. Dans l’intérêt objectif de la collectivité des justiciables, ce moyen tend ainsi à garantir les équilibres constitutionnels inhérents à la construction européenne en assurant le rôle de chaque acteur dans le déroulement régulier des procédures. Le moyen d’ordre public joue de manière variable dans l’ensemble des procédures contentieuses relevant de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne. Il est impératif et s’impose tant au juge qu’aux parties. Il doit être examiné et relevé d’office par le juge dès lors qu’il est de nature à influencer la solution du litige. L’obligation du juge s’accommode néanmoins d’une certaine souplesse. Ce moyen peut être invoqué par les parties en dehors des règles de droit commun régissant la recevabilité des moyens. Relevé d’office par le juge ou invoqué par une partie, le moyen d’ordre public doit être soumis au débat contradictoire entre les parties. Un courant jurisprudentiel récent tend ainsi à subjectiviser le régime du moyen d’ordre public au vu des exigences du procès équitable. / Grounds of public policy are of fundamental importance in legal proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). They may be defined as grounds intended to safeguard the fundamental rules and values of the European legal order. They pursue a resolutely objective aim and are intended to maintain the allocation of judicial and decision-making powers, to uphold the procedural requirements of all proceedings, to uphold fundamental rights which are essentially procedural in nature, and even to protect the substance of certain legal norms. In the objective interest of the general public, they are intended to safeguard the constitutional balances forming an integral part of European construction by ensuring the participation of every party in the lawful conduct of proceedings. Grounds of public policy play a variable part in proceedings before the CJEU. They are imperative and binding upon both the Court and the parties. They must be examined and, where they determine the outcome of the proceedings, raised ex officio by the judge. However, the Court’s obligation is subject to some flexibility. Grounds of public policy may be raised by the parties regardless of general admissibility requirements. Whether they are raised ex officio by the Court or put forward by a party, such grounds must be subject to an exchange of argument between the parties. Thus, a recent line of case-law seeks to reconcile the rules governing grounds of public policy with the requirements of the right to a fair trial.

L’approche de la qualification en droit pénal se fait traditionnellement sous l’angle d’une opération intellectuelle dominée par le principe de légalité et, en particulier, par le principe de l’interprétation stricte de la loi pénale. Une telle approche occulte la dimension procédurale de la qualification en droit pénal qui est, pourtant, essentielle à la sauvegarde des libertés individuelles. La conjugaison de ces deux aspects de la qualification en droit pénal aboutit à faire émerger une forme statique de qualification : la qualification pénale des faits. Située entre l’incrimination et l’infraction, la qualification pénale des faits offre un statut intermédiaire où la nature des faits pénaux va être représentée intellectuellement en tenant compte de l’évolution du procès pénal. Plus précisément, la qualification pénale des faits s’analyse en une représentation encadrée et appliquée de la nature pénale des faits. Encadrée doublement par le principe de légalité et le principe du procès équitable, la qualification pénale des faits offre une représentation légaliste et équitable de la nature pénale des faits. Mais l’encadrement de la qualification pénale ne suffit pas à lui seul à l’élaboration de la qualification pénale des faits. Son élaboration commence bien en amont, alors que la qualification pénale des faits n’est que pure présomption dans l’esprit de l’autorité qualifiante. C’est au cours d’une application répressive et symbolique que la qualification pénale des faits se concrétise, faisant ainsi apparaître la qualification pénale des faits comme un objet juridique. D’une opération particulière au droit pénal, la qualification pénale des faits devient, à l’analyse, un concept proposant à l’esprit une manière de concevoir la nature pénale des faits. / The approach of the characterization of the facts in criminal law is generally treated as an intellectual operation ruled by the principle of legality and more particularly by the principle of the strict interpretation of criminal law. Such an approach hides the procedural dimension of the characterization of facts in criminal law which is, however, essential to the protection of individual freedoms. The union of these two aspects of the characterization leads to a static form: the characterization of facts. Situated between the incrimination and the offense, it proposes an intermediate status where the nature of the criminal facts will be represented intellectually taking into consideration the evolution of the criminal trial. More precisely, the characterization of facts is analyzed as a framed and applied representation of the nature of the criminal facts. Framed by the principles of legality and of the right to a fair trial, the criminal characterization of facts offers a legalist and fair image of the criminal nature of the facts. But the frame alone is not sufficient to elaborate the notion of characterization of facts. Its elaboration begins upstream when it is a sheer presumption in the mind of the qualifying authority. It is during the process of a repressive and symbolic application that the characterization of the facts materializes, thus becoming a judicial object. In a manner peculiar to criminal law, the characterization of the facts becomes a concept which suggests a way to apprehend the criminal nature of the facts.