CYIL vol. 10 (2019)

ALLA TYMOFEYEVA CYIL 10 (2019) HUMAN RIGHTS OF OLDER PERSONS IN THE CASE LAW OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS Alla Tymofeyeva* Abstract: The objective of this paper is to analyse the current international legal framework applicable to older persons in the context of the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and evaluate whether it is sufficient for the purposes of the protection of their human rights. The author will first elaborate on the definition of older persons based on the text of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) with the goal of elucidating the primary research question. Next, the article will discuss the human rights of the elderly under the ECHR. Lastly, the manuscript will disclose the legal standing of older persons in proceedings before the ECtHR to include their special needs; as well as, their vulnerability. The issue of whether the ECHR standards on the protection of older persons’ rights are already sufficient or if there is a need to adopt a special treaty on the subject within the Council of Europe (CoE) will be highlighted in the Conclusions. Resumé: Cílem tohoto článku je provést analýzu současné právní úpravy lidských práv starších osob v kontextu judikatury Evropského soudu pro lidská práva (ESLP) a posoudit, zda je tato úprava postačující. Za účelem dosažení tohoto cíle se autorka za prvé zaměří na definici pojmu „starší osoby“, založenou na textu Evropské úmluvy o lidských právech (EÚLP). Za druhé se článek bude zabývat lidskými právy starších osob v rámci mechanismu EÚLP. Za třetí se soustředí na právní postavení starších osob v řízení před ESLP, včetně jejich zvláštních potřeb, jakožto i zranitelnosti. Odpověď na otázku, zda jsou normy EÚLP týkající se ochrany práv starších osob postačující, nebo zda je zapotřebí přijmout k tomu zvláštní smlouvu v rámci Rady Evropy, bude poskytnuta v závěrech článku. Key words: European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), European Convention on Human Rights(ECHR), older persons, case law, vulnerability. On the Author: JUDr. Mgr. Alla Tymofeyeva Ph.D. focuses her research in the area of European Convention Law. Her Ph.D. was obtained in 2011 at the Law Faculty of Charles University. She then continued her post-doctoral studies at the International Law Department of the Faculty of Law in Prague. In 2009 and 2014, Dr. Tymofeyeva accomplished both on-site training and an internship at the Registry of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Currently, she is a senior lecturer at the Department of International Law of the Faculty of Law, Charles University. Dr. Tymofeyeva conducts seminars and gives lectures on Public International Law, Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights, Protection of Human Rights in Europe and International Protection of Human Rights, and is a member of the European Society of International Law (ESIL) and the Czech Society of International Law. Her particular research interests include the topic of the Human rights of older persons, as well as Business and Human Rights issue.

* This article, as well as the whole symposium, is the outcome of the Research Project on Human Rights of Older Persons, funded by the Research Academy of the Czech Republic (GAČR project No.18-08130).

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