CYIL vol. 14 (2023)

CYIL 14 (2023) CONVICTION FOLLOWING AN APPEAL AGAINST AN ACQUITTAL IN CRIMINAL … CONVICTION FOLLOWING AN APPEAL AGAINST AN ACQUITTAL IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS – WIDER CONTEXT, ADVANTAGES, RISKS AND LIMITS Jiří Mulák Abstract: This study 1 deals with the right of appeal in criminal cases within the meaning of Article 2 of Protocol No. 7 to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as well as the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) as regards the conclusions it has reached in relation to the appeal proceedings. The aim of this paper is to highlight some of the pitfalls of the legislation which allow for the conversion of an acquittal by a Court of Appeal into a conviction. The focus here is on the relationship between the Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal in criminal proceedings as well as the ECtHR decision in Tempel v Czech Republic . The paper is developed through the lens of one of the exceptions to the right to appeal in criminal cases (convicted following an appeal against acquittal). The paper takes into account the Czech legislation, as it is currently in a state of ongoing recodification of the Code of Criminal Procedure, where this issue is also addressed. Resumé: Tato studie se zabývá právem na odvolání ve věcech trestních ve smyslu čl. 2 Pro tokolu č. 7 k Evropské úmluvě o lidských právech (EÚLP) a rovněž judikaturou Evropské soudu pro lidská práva (ESLP), pokud jde o závěry, které učinil ve vztahu k odvolacím říze ní. Cílem tohoto příspěvku je především upozornit některá úskalí právní úpravy, která při pouští změnu zprošťujícího rozsudku odvolacím soudem na rozsudek odsuzující. Pozornost je zde věnována vztahu soudu prvního stupně a odvolacího soudu v trestním řízení a také rozhodnutí ESLP ve věci Tempel proti České republice. Příspěvek je zpracován optikou jedné z výjimek práva na odvolání ve věcech trestních (odsouzení po odvolání proti osvo bozujícímu rozsudku). V příspěvku je přihlíženo k české právní úpravě, neboť ta se nachází ve stavu probíhající rekodifikace trestního řádu, kde je řešena i tato otázka. Key words: right to appeal in criminal matters; right to a fair trial; European Court of Human Rights; Protocol No. 7 to ECHR; appellate procedure; principles of appeal; amendment of decision; adversarial procedure; limits of appellate court; adverse amendment About the Author: JUDr. Jiří Mulák, Ph.D. is a senior lecturer at the Department of Criminal Law of Faculty of Law of the Charles University (Prague). 1. Introduction The right of appeal in criminal matters 2 is provided for in two provisions of international instruments. According to Article 2 of Protocol No. 7 to the ECHR, Everyone convicted of a criminal offence by a tribunal shall have the right to have his conviction or sentence reviewed by a higher tribunal. The exercise of this right, including 1 The paper is published within the framework OF the programme of Faculty of Law of the Charles University known as Cooperatio/LAWS. 2 MULÁK, J. The Exceptions of the right to appeal in criminal matters under Article 2 of Protocol No. 7 to the ECHR. Czech Yearbook of Public & Private International Law . Prague 2022, pp. 177–190.

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