TFL Vsebine / Revija Pravnik

3

Prispevek obravnavava stališča Evropskega sodišča za človekove pravice (ESČP) v zvezi z imenovanji in razrešitvami sodnikov z vidika zagotavljanja neodvisnosti sodnikov predvsem od izvršilne in zakonodajne veje oblasti. Predstavljene so nekatere (naj)pomembnejše odločitve ESČP iz novejše sodne prakse, v katerih je ESČP ugotovilo kršitev konvencijskih pravic v konkretnih postopkih imenovanj in razrešitev sodnikov oziroma predsednikov sodišč, hkrati pa je posredno presojalo tudi ureditev sodstva vključno s sistemom imenovanja in razrešitev sodnikov v državah pogodbenicah. Čeprav je praviloma vpliv ESČP na zagotavljanje vladavine prava in institucionalne neodvisnosti sodstva omejen oziroma zgolj posreden, saj lahko ESČP le vzpostavi in izoblikuje določene minimalne standarde varstva človekovih pravic v individualnih postopkih, pa ESČP zagotovo vpliva tudi na izboljšanje ureditve sodstva v posameznih državah in povzroči marsikatero spremembo zakonodaje na tem področju. Predstavljena sodna praksa kaže, da prav na področju zagotavljanja neodvisnosti sodstva vpliv ESČP zaradi njegovega opredeljevanja tudi do sistemskih vprašanj ureditve sodstva ni zanemarljiv, čeprav sodna praksa ESČP na tem področju odpira tudi nekatera vprašanja.

This article examines the views of the European Court of Human Rights (the ECtHR) on the appointment and dismissal of judges from the perspective of ensuring the independence of judges, particularly from the executive and the legislature. It presents some of the (most) important recent decisions, in which the ECtHR found a violation of Convention rights in individual procedures for appointing and dismissing judges or court presidents, and indirectly assessed the regulation of the judicial system in the Contracting States, including the system for appointing and dismissing judges. Although the ECtHR’s influence on safeguarding the rule of law and the institutional independence of the judiciary is generally limited or only indirect, since it can only establish and develop certain minimum standards of human rights protection in individual proceedings, it can nevertheless have an impact on improving the organisation of the judiciary within the Contracting States and it has in fact encouraged a number of changes of legislation in the relevant field. The presented case law demonstrates that the ECtHR’s influence in ensuring the independence of the judiciary is not insignificant, as the ECtHR also addresses systemic issues of the organisation of the judiciary, though its case law in this field has also raised some issues.

Ensuring Judicial Independence through the System of Appointment and Dismissal of Judges in the Case-Law of the European Court of Human Rights