CYIL vol. 14 (2023)

LENKA SCHEU – VIOLETA VASILIAUSKIENĖ

CYIL 14 (2023)

RACIAL PROFILING AND IDENTITY CHECKS: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CASE-LAW Violeta Vasiliauskienė, Lenka Scheu

Abstract: The Article describes the practice of racial profiling and provides an oversight of jurisprudence related to identity checks and the question of racial profiling. The recent Dutch process and two different rulings of the ECtHR illustrate differing opinions on whether racial and other person-related characteristics may be the basis of law enforcement action, in this case, identity checks. The international jurisprudence of the UN Human Rights Committee and the European Court of Human Rights gives criteria for establishing whether discrimination occurred during identity checks and indicates aspects regarding burden of proof between the applicant and the respondent state. Resumé: Článek popisuje praxi rasového profilování a přináší přehled judikatury týkající se kontrol totožnosti, a otázek rasového profilování. Nedávný nizozemský soudní proces a dvě různá rozhodnutí ilustrují rozdílné názory na to, zda rasové a jiné charakteristiky související s konkrétní osobou mohou být základem pro opatření orgánů činných v trestním řízení, v tomto případě kontroly totožnosti. Mezinárodní judikatura Výboru OSN pro lidská práva a Evropského soudu pro lidská práva uvádí kritéria pro určení, zda při kontrole totožnosti došlo k diskriminaci, a naznačuje aspekty týkající se důkazního břemene mezi žalobcem a odpovědným státem. Key words : racial profiling, stop and search, illegal immigration, discrimination, human rights About the authors : Prof. dr. Violeta Vasiliauskienė teaches Public International Law and European Union Law at the Public Security Academy of Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania. Her scientific interests are public international law, and European Union law. Dr. Lenka Scheu teaches administrative law at the Police Academy of the Czech Republic and focuses on labour law and anti-discrimination law. Introduction With the ever-present threat of crime and the increase of terrorism in the last two decades, the rise of technology allows law enforcement officers to fight crime more effectively. The statistics of crime and criminals according to the racial or national lines might be an incentive to use those criteria for distinguishing persons as potential targets for police actions. However, the effectiveness of such action is questionable at least, 1 and the consequences range from more frequent stops on the road and a traffic ticket control, or inconvenienced for being taken to the police station for no reason. For others, however, racial profiling results in serious injury, or consequences for health. 2 Still, others lose their jobs as a result of racial profiling 1 Open Society Institute, ‘Ethnic Profiling in the European Union: Pervasive, Ineffective, and Discriminatory’, 2009, p. 11. 2 Ontario Human Rights Commission, ‘The Effects of Racial Profiling’ < https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/paying price-human-cost-racial-profiling/effects-racial-profiling> accessed 11 August 2023.

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