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Wrocław, 3-5 October 1996 CDL-STD(1996)017 Or. Engl. Science and technique of democracy, No. 17 EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE COMMISSION) Human Rights and the functioning of the democratic institutions in emergency situations Wrocław, 3-5 October 1996 Proceedings of the UniDem Seminar organised in Wrocław (Poland) on 3-5 October 1996 in co-operation with the University of Wrocław and with the support of the Japan Foundation, the European Commission, Bank Zachodni SA of Wrocław and Konrad Adenauer Foundation TABLE OF CONTENTS Opening session ......................................................................................................................... 2 a. Opening statement by Mr Roman DUDA........................................................................... 3 b. Opening statement by Mr Ergun ÖZBUDUN .................................................................... 4 c. Opening statement by Mr Takeshi GOTO .......................................................................... 7 First working session ................................................................................................................ 7 "The National Rules" ............................................................................................................... 7 a. Emergency powers and judicial review by Mr Ergun ÖZBUDUN ..................................... 8 b. Emergency powers in the constitutions of states in Central and Eastern Europe by Mr Krzysztof WÓJTOWICZ ................................................................................................ 15 Second working session .......................................................................................................... 27 "The National Rules (continued)" ......................................................................................... 27 a. A few basic ideas on the preconditions for instituting an emergency regime in a democracy by Mr Yoichi HIGUSHI.................................................................................................. 28 b. The national rules in Germany by Mr Theodor SCHWEISFURTH.................................. 31 c. Human rights and the functioning of democratic institutions under emergency situations in the Spanish Constitution by Mr Jaime NICOLAS MUÑIZ ............................................. 45 d. Rules relating to emergency situations in Hungary by Mr János ZLINSZKY................... 53 e. Crisis management under the Greek constitution by Ms Ismini KRIARI-KATRANI ....... 59 f. Rules applicable in Romania during emergencies by Mr Petru GAVRILESCU................ 74 g. The national rules in the Russian Federation by Mr Yuri KOUDRYAVTSEV ................ 77 h. The national rules in the Republic of Belarus by Mr Alexander VASHKEVICH ............. 83 i. Some thoughts on the suspension of fundamental rights in emergency situations within the Italian legal system by Mr Giuseppe CATALDI ............................................................. 85 j. Emergency situations in Armenia by Mr Khatchig SOUKIASSIAN................................. 87 Third working session............................................................................................................. 94 "Emergency situations in international legal instruments" ................................................. 94 a. Rules on emergency powers in international human rights treaties by Mr Jan KOLASA.. 94 b. Emergency situations: the practice of the organs of the European Convention on Human Rights by Mr Francis JACOBS ..................................................................................... 113 c. Some thoughts on article 15 of the european convention on human rights by Mr Giuseppe CATALDI..................................................................................................................... 126 Final report ........................................................................................................................... 128 "Customary international law" ........................................................................................... 128 a. The protection of human rights in emergency situations under customary international law by Mr Jaime ORAÁ ...................................................................................................... 129 b. Intervention by Mr Karol WOLFKE .............................................................................. 175 List of participants ................................................................................................................ 177 Opening session a. Opening statement by Mr Roman DUDA b. Opening statement by Mr Ergun ÖZBUDUN c. Opening statement by Mr Takeshi GOTO a. Opening statement by Mr Roman DUDA Rector, University of Wrocław It is indeed a great honour and pleasure for me to attend the opening ceremony of the seminar "Human rights and the functioning of the democratic institutions in emergency situations" organized by the European Commission for Democracy through Law. On behalf of the Senate and the whole community of the University of Wrocław, I wish to extend a warm welcome to all the distinguished members of the Commission and guests attending the seminar, in particular to: - Professor Jerzy Makarczyk, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights - Ms Jane Liddy, President of the First Chamber, European Commission for Human Rights - Mr Mevljan Tahiri, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe I am also pleased to welcome representatives of the local authorities: - Prof. Janusz Zaleski, Voivode of the Wrocław Voivodeship - Zygfryd Zaporowski, Vice-Mayor of the City of Wrocław - Dr Jerzy Bara_ski, Chairman of the Legal Commission of Wrocław City Council - Mr Tadeusz G_uszczuk, President of Bank Zachodni S.A., Wrocław - Professor Leon Kieres, President of the Self-government Government The Council of Europe, which exists since 1949 and of which Poland has been a member since 1992, constitutes the only all-European organisation with universal goals, working strenuously towards cooperation and integration of member states. It has many spectacular achievements, in particular in the realm of human rights. Particularly important for us is the fact that since 1989 the Council supports the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in their transition towards a free-market economy and democracy. In this respect the European Commission for Democracy through Law is most active and most helpful. This is not the first meeting of the Commission in this country. The first was held in Warsaw in 1993 and now we have the honour and pleasure to host the second meeting in this old European city. Let me say a few words on this occasion about our university, its old and dramatic history. As early as 1505, Ladislaus II Jagiel_o, King of Bohemia and Hungary, signed the university foundation deed which, however, was not followed by an actual development of the university. The state borders were constantly changing and it was only as late as 1702, when the Austrian Emperor Leopold I established a Jesuit academy with two faculties: Philosophy and Theology. The magnificent main building of our university dates back to those times, though the full university was established later, in 1811, when the Protestant Viadrina University (founded in 1506) was moved here from Frankfurt-on-the-Oder by the King of Prussia. Despite its German character, the University was an oasis of openness and tolerance and attracted many Polish students, especially from Silesia and Wielkopolska, incorporated then into Prussia. The situation changed again during World War II. In June 1939, on the brink of the war, Polish students were expelled "never to return back" but they were back fairly soon. In January 1945, the German university was evacuated and after a 3-month siege, Polish professors from the University of Lvov arrived in Wrocław to organize a new, Polish university. Now we are one of the largest and most important universities in the country, with 1600 academic staff members and 26 000 students. I hope that the seminar will be successful and that besides meetings you will also have an opportunity to see the city. Let me wish all of you a pleasant and interesting stay in Wrocław. b. Opening statement by Mr Ergun ÖZBUDUN Professor at the University of Bilkent, Ankara, Vice-President of the Turkish Foundation for Democracy, Member of the European Commission for Democracy through Law It is a particular pleasure for the European Commission for Democracy through Law to have been given the opportunity by the Institute of Public Law of the University of Wrocław to hold our seminar here, in Wrocław. In fact, it is not the first time that we have had the opportunity to co-operate with the Law Faculty of the University of Wrocław. Three years ago, in May 1993, the University of Wrocław was already one of the co-organisers of a UniDem Seminar on the Relationship between International Law and Domestic Law. This seminar did not take place here in Wrocław, but in Warsaw, and so it is only now that we have the pleasure of getting to know this magnificent old town and its university. But this earlier seminar had already permitted us to appreciate the high quality of this Law Faculty and so we were extremely pleased when the Institute of Public Law offered to host our UniDem Seminar on Human Rights and the Functioning of the Democratic Institutions in Emergency Situations. This topic was one of the first to be addressed by our Commission,