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The Role of the European Court of Human Rights in Ensuring the Right to a Fair Trial with the Republic of Latvia and Republic of Finland As an Example

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The Role of the European Court of Human Rights in Ensuring the Right to a Fair Trial with the Republic of Latvia and Republic of Finland As an Example Vladimir Jilkine THE ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ENSURING THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL WITH THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND REPUBLIC OF FINLAND AS AN EXAMPLE Doctoral Thesis to obtaining the degree of the Doctor of Law Speciality: Law Subfield: International Law The thesis was elaborated with the financial support under the ESF project of “Support for the Acquisition of Doctoral Study Programmes and Scientific Degree at Rīga Stradiņš University”, agreement Nr. 2009/0147/1DP/1.1.2.1.2./09/IPIA/VIAA/009. Rīga, 2016 ANNOTATION The aim of the doctoral thesis “The role of the European Court of Human Rights in ensuring the right to a fair trial with the Republic of Latvia and Republic of Finland as an example” is a comparative analysis and study of the values of the European Convention and the role of the European Court of Human Rights to ensure the right to a fair trial in the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Finland. Key words: Jurisprudence, human rights, the right to a fair trial, international legal standards, constitutional and international control mechanisms. The author made a comparative analysis of international and national legislations of the Latvian Republic and the Republic of Finland, judicial practice, study of findings and the basis of decision by the Constitutional Court as well as the three Departments of the Supreme Court of Republic of Latvia, the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court of Republic of Finland, author proposes new theoretical ideas and particular proposals to amend the national legislation. Structure of the thesis is created on the basis of logic, aims and objectives of the conducted study. The structure of the Doctoral thesis is defined by the object and subject, with the targets and missions, consisting of four chapters, which include eighteen paragraphs, conclusions, appendices and bibliography for the sources as well as interviews with the Judges of European Court of Human Rights and Constitutional Court of Republic of Latvia. In the first chapter, the author examines the essence of the assignment, the historical emergence of human rights and freedoms, assessing the role and the legal meaning of the Constitution in the national legal system. The second chapter examines the influence of European Convention on Human Rights and the role of the ECHR in the courts of Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Finland. The third chapter analyses international legal standards in the national legal system. In the fourth chapter the author examines the guarantees of a fair trial in the national courts of the Republic of Finland. In the concluding part author gives a comparative picture of the national judicature and the enforcement of ECHR judgments in Latvia and Finland and puts forward some practical recommendations for discussion and approbation. The undertaken study has shown that despite the considerable differences between the national legal systems of the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Finland, both systems use a statutory method of implementation of the international norms into the legal system, thus enforcing the right to fair judicial trial. The Doctoral thesis consists of 200 pages, 490 used sources of information. 2 ANOTĀCIJA Promocijas darbs “Eiropas Cilvēktiesību tiesas loma tiesību uz taisnīgu lietas izskatīšanu tiesā nodrošināšanā: Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas pieredze” ir veltīts abu valstu tiesību aktu, tiesību doktrīnu un tiesu prakses izpētei nozīmīgā cilvēktiesību garantēšanas jautājumā. Promocijas darba mērķis ir veikt Eiropas Cilvēktiesību konvencijas un Eiropas Cilvēktiesību tiesas lomas izvērtēšanu tiesību uz taisnīgu lietas izskatīšanu garantēšanā Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas tiesās. Atslēgvārdi: tiesvedība, cilvēktiesības, tiesības uz taisnīgu lietas izskatīšanu tiesā, starptautiskie standarti, konstitucionālā un starptautiskā kontrole. Autors ir veicis Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas tiesību aktu, tiesību doktrīnu, tiesu prakses, Latvijas Republikas Satversmes tiesas un Augstākās tiesas, kā arī Somijas Republikas Augstākās tiesas un Augstākās Administratīvās tiesas nolēmumu salīdzināšanu un apjomīgu un sistēmisku to analīzi, kas bija par pamatu inovatīvu zinātnisku atziņu paušanai un priekšlikumu izteikšanai tiesību aktu un tiesu prakses pilnveidošanai. Darba struktūru nosaka tā izstrādes mērķis un uzdevumi, pētījuma objekts un priekšmets. Promocijas darbs sastāv no ievada, četrām nodaļām, kuras iedalītas 18 apakšnodaļās, nobeiguma, literatūras un avotu saraksta, anotācijām. Darbam pievienoti pielikumi, kuri atspoguļo ekspertu aptauju rezultātus. Pirmajā nodaļā autors noskaidro pētījuma mērķi un uzdevumus, analizē personas tiesību un brīvību evolūcijas vēsturi, īpaši akcentējot Konstitūcijas vietu un lomu nacionālajā tiesību sistēmā. Otrajā nodaļā tiek analizēta Eiropas Cilvēktiesību un pamatbrīvību aizsardzības konvencijas un Eiropas Cilvēktiesību tiesas loma nolēmumu pieņemšanā Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas tiesās. Trešajā nodaļā tiek analizēta starptautisko standartu ietekme uz Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas nacionālajām tiesību sistēmām un tiesu praksi. Ceturtajā nodaļā autors aplūko tiesību uz taisnīgu lietas izskatīšanu tiesā nodrošināšanu Somijas Republikas tiesās. Promocijas darba nobeiguma daļā autors salīdzina Eiropas Cilvēktiesību tiesas nolēmumu izpildi Latvijas Republikā un Somijas Republikā, formulē secinājumus un izvirza konkrētus priekšlikumus tiesību aktu un tiesu prakses pilnveidošanai Latvijas Republikā un Somijas Republikā. 3 Autora veiktais pētījums pārliecinoši demonstrē, ka, neskatoties uz Latvijas Republikas un Somijas Republikas nacionālo tiesību sistēmu atšķirībām, abās valstīs starptautisko tiesību normu implementācijai nacionālajā tiesību sistēmā ir normatīvs raksturs, dominējošā loma pieder Latvijas Republikas Satversmei un Somijas Republikas Konstitūcijai, abās valstīs tiek nodrošinātas tiesības uz taisnīgu lietas izskatīšanu tiesā saskaņā ar nacionālajiem likumiem un valstu starptautiskajiem līgumiem. Promocijas darba apjoms ir 200 lappuses, izmantoti 490 informācijas avoti. 4 CONTENTS Abbreviations ......................................................................................................................... 7 General description of promotion paper ................................................................................. 8 1. LEGAL MEANING OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND AS THE DECISIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS FOR THE NATIONAL LAW PROCEEDINGS .......... 14 1.1. Historical development of human rights and freedoms in the Republic of Latvia .................................................................................................. 14 1.2. History of Finnish legislation and the impact of ECHR decisions to change the national laws .................................................................................................... 16 1.3. Role of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia in the protection of Human Rights .................................................................................................... 19 1.4. Application of the Constitution and international law in the proceedings by theRepublic of Latvia ........................................................................................ 28 1.5. Priority of Constitution in the national legal system and position of international treaties in sources system of national law ......................................... 37 Brief summary of Chapter 1................................................................................... 47 2. RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL BY A COMPETENT, INDEPENDENT AND IMPARTIAL TRIBUNAL ESTABLISHED BY LAW .................................................... 49 2.1. Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights for the right to a fair trial.............................................................................................................. 49 2.2. Implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Finland .................................................... 66 2.3. Application of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights in Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia ................................................... 72 2.4. Role of the European Court of Human Rights in providing the right to a fair trial in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Finland ............................... 76 2.5. Comparative analysis of proceedings in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia and the Supreme Court of the Republic of Finland.............................. 83 Brief summary of Chapter 2 ................................................................................ 93 3. REVIEW OF LAWSUITS IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND ....................................................... 95 3.1. Application of the European Convention in a fair trial ........................................ 95 3.2. Consideration of claims cancellation of decisions by national courts that have entered into force by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Finland ....... 101 3.3. Position of the European Court on the implementation of decisions by national courts that are in legal force ............................................................ 114 3.4. Implementation of international legal standards in the revision of the judgements that are in force by Supreme Court of Finland ........................
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