Strasbourg- Warsaw, 9 July 2010 CDL-AD(2010)020 Study no. 581/2010 Or. Engl. EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW (VENICE COMMISSION) OSCE/ODIHR – VENICE COMMISSION GUIDELINES ON FREEDOM OF PEACEFUL ASSEMBLY (2 ND EDITION) Prepared by the OSCE/ODIHR Panel on Freedom of Assembly and by the Venice Commission Adopted by the Venice Commission at its 83 rd Plenary Session (Venice, 4 June 2010) 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction........................................................................................................................... 5 Section A – guidelines on freedom of peaceful assembly...................................................... 7 1. Freedom of Peaceful Assembly................................................................................. 7 Freedom of peaceful assembly...................................................................................... 7 Definition of assembly ................................................................................................... 7 Only peaceful assemblies are protected........................................................................ 7 2. Guiding Principles ..................................................................................................... 7 Presumption in favour of holding assemblies................................................................. 7 2.2 The State’s positive obligation to facilitate and protect peaceful assembly......... 8 2.3 Legality.............................................................................................................. 8 2.4 Proportionality.................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Non-discrimination............................................................................................. 8 2.6 Good administration........................................................................................... 8 2.7 Liability of the regulatory authority ..................................................................... 9 3. Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly ....................................................................... 9 Legitimate grounds for restriction .................................................................................. 9 3.2 Public space ...................................................................................................... 9 3.3 Content-based restrictions................................................................................. 9 3.4 Time, Place and Manner’ restrictions................................................................. 9 3.5 ‘Sight and Sound’............................................................................................... 9 4. Procedural Issues...................................................................................................... 9 4.1 Notification......................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Spontaneous assemblies................................................................................. 10 4.3 Simultaneous assemblies ................................................................................ 10 4.4 Counter-demonstrations .................................................................................. 10 4.5 Decision-making.............................................................................................. 10 4.6 Review and Appeal.......................................................................................... 10 5. Implementing Freedom of Peaceful Assembly Legislation....................................... 11 5.1 Pre-event planning with law enforcement officials............................................ 11 5.2 Costs ............................................................................................................... 11 5.3 A human rights approach to policing assemblies ............................................. 11 5.4 The use of negotiation and/or mediation to de-escalate conflict....................... 11 5.5 The use of force............................................................................................... 11 5.6 Liability and accountability of law enforcement personnel................................ 11 5.7 Liability of organisers....................................................................................... 12 5.8 Stewarding assemblies.................................................................................... 12 5.9 Monitors........................................................................................................... 12 5.10 Media access................................................................................................... 12 Section B – Explanatory Notes............................................................................................ 12 Part I................................................................................................................................... 12 1. The importance of freedom of assembly...................................................................... 12 2. The Regulation of Freedom of Peaceful Assembly...................................................... 15 The legal framework.................................................................................................... 15 International and regional standards........................................................................ 15 Regulating freedom of assembly in domestic law .................................................... 17 Freedom of peaceful assembly in the context of other rights and freedoms................. 19 Principal definitions and categories of Assembly ......................................................... 20 ‘Peaceful’ and ‘non-peaceful’ assemblies .................................................................... 24 3. Guiding Principles ....................................................................................................... 25 3 Presumption in favour of holding assemblies............................................................... 26 State’s duty to protect peaceful assembly ................................................................... 26 Legality........................................................................................................................ 28 Proportionality ............................................................................................................. 29 Non-discrimination....................................................................................................... 32 Groups, Unregistered Associations, and Legal Entities ........................................... 35 Minorities................................................................................................................. 35 ‘Non-Nationals’ ........................................................................................................ 36 Women.................................................................................................................... 36 Children................................................................................................................... 36 Persons with a disability .......................................................................................... 37 Law enforcement personnel and State officials........................................................ 37 Good administration and transparent decision-making ................................................ 38 Review and appeal...................................................................................................... 39 Liability of the regulatory authority ............................................................................... 39 4. Restrictions on Freedom of Assembly ......................................................................... 40 Legitimate grounds for restriction ................................................................................ 40 Public Order ............................................................................................................ 40 Public Safety ........................................................................................................... 41 The Protection of Health.......................................................................................... 41 The Protection of Morals ......................................................................................... 42 The Protection of the Rights and Freedoms of Others ............................................. 42 National Security ..................................................................................................... 45 Legislation intended to counter ‘terrorism’ and ‘extremism’.................................. 45 Derogations in times of war or other public emergency........................................ 47 Types of restriction...................................................................................................... 48 Content-based restrictions....................................................................................... 48 ‘Time, Place and Manner’ restrictions...................................................................... 50 ‘Sight and Sound’ .................................................................................................... 51 Restrictions imposed prior to an assembly (‘prior restraints’)................................... 51 Freedom of association and freedom of assembly..............................................