CYIL vol. 11 (2020)

CYIL 11 (2020) THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIMES OF TROUBLE… THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN TIMES OF TROUBLE: USE OF DEROGATIONS UNDER ARTICLE 15 ECHR Emil Ruffer 1 Abstract: This article will focus on the possible limitations and restrictions of human rights and fundamental freedoms under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), incl. the (temporary) derogation of a State Party’s obligations under Article 15 of the ECHR. This derogation is designed for times of war or other public emergencies threatening the life of a nation. It was also used in the past for situations of the aftermath of terrorist attacks or during the threat of such attacks. Most recently, some States Parties notified derogations under Article 15 also due to the emergency measures taken to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, although others relied only on the limitations and restrictions of the ECHR rights and freedoms permitted by its substantive provisions, without derogating en bloc. We shall analyse the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on the use of Article 15 and try to draw some conclusions whether COVID-19 measures indeed required recourse to derogate from the ECHR obligations. Resumé: Tento článek se zaměří na možná omezení lidských práv a základních svobod podle Evropské úmluvy o lidských právech (EÚLP), vč. (dočasného) odstoupení od zá- vazků / derogace smluvní strany podle článku 15 EÚLP. Tato derogace je zamýšlena pro případ války nebo jiného ohrožení státní existence. V minulosti byla použita rovněž pro situace po teroristických útocích nebo během ohrožení takovými útoky. Ve velmi nedávné době některé smluvní strany oznámily derogaci podle článku 15 také z důvodu nouzových opatření přijatých k boji proti pandemii COVID-19, ačkoliv ostatní využily pouze možná omezení práv a svobod zaručených EÚLP dle jejích substantivních článků, aniž by odstou- pily od závazků en bloc. Podrobíme analýze judikaturu Evropského soudu pro lidská práva k článku 15 a pokusíme se formulovat určité závěry, zda opatření proti COVID-19 skutečně vyžadovala odstoupení od závazků dle EÚLP. Key words: Council of Europe, European Convention on Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, restrictions of human rights, derogation, Article 15, non-derogable rights, state of emergency, COVID-19, proportionality About the Author: JUDr. Emil Ruffer, Ph.D. was born in Prague in 1974. Graduated from Charles University, Faculty of Law, in 2001. He also read English and American Literature at Charles University, Faculty of Arts. From 1996 to 1997, he studied European Law and Politics at Cardiff Law School under the Tempus (PHARE) programme; for the academic year 2000–2001 he received the Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship for studies of European and International Public Law at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2007 he received his Ph.D. from Charles University, Faculty of Law upon completing research in the area of legal aspects of EU external relations, which is one his fields of specialisation. In 1 The author is the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the Council of Europe. However, the opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily correspond with any official position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and do not bind this institution in any way.

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