en
Przegląd Europejski – European Studies Quarterly

Precautionary proportionality principle as an instrumental preventive measure from the COVID-19: Can European human rights survive in the state of public health emergency?

2021, 2021, No. 1

Jizeng Fan

0000-0002-9106-5031

Sichuan University (Chengdu, China)

Yuhong Wang

0000-0003-3167-0237

Sichuan University (Chengdu, China)

DOI

10.31338/1641-2478pe.1.21.7

Publication date

14.04.2021

Publishing model

open access

License type

CC BY 4.0 Int.

Field

Social sciences

Discipline

international relations, economics and finance, communication and media studies, political science and public administration, management and quality studies, law, sociology

Language of publication

English, Polish

Downloads

PDF 262 KB

Article

Number of views:736

Number of downloads:22

Crossref citations:0

Altmetric score:0

Abstract

The authors believe that the C. Schmitt’s notion of unconstraint sovereignty is not flawless. Both A. Dicey’s theory of British constitutional law and the international human rights instruments have required the measures of the derogation of human rights must be given in accordance with proportionality principle. However, these normative requirements have hardly been applied to the judicial scrutiny by the two supranational courts in Europe. Correspondingly, some European public authorities favour the more radical precautionary principle. Although this principle is more effective in suppressing the new coronavirus, it is associated with numerous side effects. Thus, the authors propose in this article an innovative concept of precautionary proportionality principle.

Keywords:

COVID-19,Europe,coronavirus,human rights,sovereignty,rule of law,fundamental rights protection,proportionality principle,precautionary principle

Bibliography

ACKERMANN Bruce (2004), The Emergency Constitution, "Yale Law Journal", vol.113, no. 1.

https://doi.org/10.2307/4135710

ALEXY Robert (2002), A Theory of Constitutional Rights, Oxford University Press.

ALEXY Robert (2003), On the Balancing of Subsumption. A Structural Comparison, "Ratio Juris", vol. 16, no. 4.

https://doi.org/10.1046/j.0952-1917.2003.00244.x

BJORNSKOV Christan, VOIGT Stefan (2018), The Architecture of Emergency Constitution, "International Journal of Constitutional Law", vol. 16, no. 1.

https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/moy012

BREYER Stephen G. (2003), Liberty, Security and Courts, https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/speeches/sp_04-15-03.html (15.12.2020).

BVerfGE (1978), Entscheidungen Der Amtlichen Sammlung, 49, 89.

BVefvGE (1979), Entscheidungen Der Amtlichen Sammlung, 50, 290.

BVerfGE (1994), Entscheidungen Der Amtlichen Sammlung, 90, 145.

CANESTRINI Nicola (2020), Covid-19 Italian Emergency Legislation and Infection of the Rule of Law, "New Journal of European Criminal Law", vol. 11, no. 2.

https://doi.org/10.1177/2032284420934669

CROSBY Lauren, CROSBY Edward (2020), Applying the Precautionary Principle to Personal Protective Equipment Guidance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Did We Learn the Lessons from the SARS, "Canadian Journal of Anesthesiologist", vol.67, no. 10.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12630-020-01760-y

DICEY Albert V. (1920), Introduction to the Study of Law of Constitution, LiberyFund.

DICEY Albert V. (1979), Introduction to the Study of Law of Constitution, Macmillan.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-17968-8

DYZENHAUS David (2006a), Schmitt v. Dicey: Are State of Emergency Inside or Outside the Legal Order?, "Cardozo Law Review", vol. 27, no. 5.

DYZENHAUS David (2006b), The Constitution of Law: Legality in a Time of Emergency, Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511618246

DYZENHAUS David (2008), The Compulsion of Legality, in: Victor V. Ramraj (ed.), Emergency and The Limits of Legality, Cambridge.

DYZENHAUS David (2012), State of Emergency, in: Michel Rosenfeld, András Sajó (eds.), Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law, Oxford.

DE SCHUTTER Oliver (2010), International Human Rights Law: Cases, Materials, Commentary, Cambridge University Press.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511779312

ECtHR (1961), European Court of Human Rights, Lawless vs. Ireland (no.3), ap. no. 332/57, judgment 1 July 1961.

ECtHR (1978), European Court of Human Rights, Ireland vs. UK, ap. no. 5310/71, decision 18 January 1978.

ECtHR (1988), European Court of Human Rights, Brogan and Others vs. UK, ap. no. 11209/84, judgment 29 November 1988.

ECtHR (1993), European Court of Human Rights, Brannigan & McBride vs. UK, ap. no. 14553/89 and 14554/89, judgment 25 May 1993

ECtHR (2005), European Court of Human Rights, Enhorn vs. Sweden, ap. no. 56529/00, judgment 25 January 2005.

ECtHR (2009), European Court of Human Rights, A and others vs. UK, ap. no. 3455/05, judgment 19 February 2009.

ECtHR (2018), European Court of Human Rights, Mehmet Hasan Altan vs. Turkey, ap. no.13237/17, judgment 20 March 2018.

ECtHR (2019a), European Court of Human Rights, Alparslan Altan vs. Turkey, ap. no.12778/17, judgment 16 April 2019.

ECtHR (2019b), European Court of Human Rights, Kavala vs. Turkey, ap. no.28749/18, judgment 10 December 2019.

ECtHR (2020), European Court of Human Rights, Bas vs. Turkey, ap. no. 66448/17, judgment 3 March 2020.

FEREJOHN John, PASQUINO Pasquale (2002), The Law of the Exception: A Typology of Emergency Powers, "International Journal of Constitutional Law", vol. 2, no. 2.

https://doi.org/10.1093/icon/2.2.210

GARNETT Kenisha, PARSON David J. (2017), Multi-Case Review of the Application of Precautionary Principle in the European Law and Case-law, "Risk Analysis", vol. 37, no. 3.

https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12633

GOVERNO ITALIANO (2020), Misure urgenti in materia di contenimento e gestione dell' emergenza epidemologica da COVID-19, Discreto-Legge 23 Febrario 2020, no. 6.

GREENE Alan (2018), Permanent States of Emergency and the Rule of Law: Constitutions in the Age of Crisis, Oxford.

GREENE Alan (2020), Derogating from the European Convention on Human Rights in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic: If Not Now, When?, SSRN, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3593358 (17.12.2020).

https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3593358

GROSS Oren, NÍ AOLÁIN Fionnuala (2001), From Discretion to Scrutiny: Revisiting the Application of the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine in the Context of Article 15 of the European Convention on Human Rights, "Human Rights Quarterly", vol. 23, no. 3.

https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2001.0035

GROSS Oren, NÍ AOLÁIN Fionnuala (2006), Law in Time of Crisis: Emergency Power in Theory and Practice, Cambridge.

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511493997

HOUSE OF LORDS (2005), A vs. Secretary of State for the Home Department, 2 W.L.R 87.

HRC (2001), CCPR General Comment No. 29: Article 4: Derogations during a State of Emergency, CCPR/C/21/Rev.1/Add.11.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (1996) of 8 May 1996, The Queen v Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and Commissioners of Customs & Excise, ex parte National Farmers' Union and Others, CASE 157/96.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (2000) of 22 June 2000, Fornasar and Others, CASE 318/98.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (2009) of 5 March 2009, Commission vs Spain, CASE C-88/07.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (2011) of 21 July 2011, Etimine SA v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, CASE 15/10.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (2016) of 9 June 2016, Pesce and Others, CASES 78/16 and 79/16.

JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (2019) of 1 October 2019, Blaise and Others, criminal proceedings, CASE 616/17.

JUDGMENT OF THE GENERAL COURT (2011) of 9 September 2011, France vs. Commission, CASE 257/07.

LINDAHL Lars (2009), Robert Alexy's Weight Formula for Weighing and Balancing, in: Augusto Silva Dias et. al. (eds.), Líber Amicorum de José de Sousa Brito em comemoração do 70.º Aniversário - Estudos de Direito e Filosofia, Almedina.

MOWBRAY Alastair (2012), Cases, Materials, and Commentary on the European Convention on Human Rights, Oxford.

https://doi.org/10.1093/he/9780199577361.001.0001

MESSERSCHMIDT Klaus (2020), COVID-19 Legislation in the Light of the Precautionary Principle, "The Theory and Practice of Legislation", vol. 8, no. 3.

https://doi.org/10.1080/20508840.2020.1783627

PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY, The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on human rights and the rule of law, AS/JUR (2020) 13, Strasbourg.

PINTO-BAZURCO Jose Felix (2020), The Precautionary Principle, "Earth Negotiation Bulletin", Brief #4, https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/still-one-earth-precautionary-principle.pdf (23.12.2020).

SCHMITT Carl (2005), Political Theology: Four Chapters on the Concept of Sovereignty, Chicago.

https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226738901.001.0001

SCHMITT Carl (2008), Constitutional Theory, Durham.

https://doi.org/10.1215/9780822390589

SCHMITT Carl (2013), Dictatorship: From the Origin of the Modern Concept of Sovereignty to Proletarian Class Struggles, Cambridge.

SCOTT Joanne (2018), Legal Aspects of Precautionary Principle, London.

SPADARO Alessandra (2020), COVID-19: Testing the Limits of Human Rights, "European Journal of Risk Regulation", vol. 11, no. 2.

https://doi.org/10.1017/err.2020.27

SCHLINK Bernhard (2011), Proportionality in the Constitutional Law, Why Everywhere But Here?, "Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law", vol. 22, no. 2.

SCHEININ Martin (2020), COVID-19 Symposium: To Derogate or not to Derogate, "Opinio Juris", http://opiniojuris.org/2020/04/06/covid-19-symposium-to-derogate-or-not-to-derogate/(28.12.2020).

SUNSTEIN Cass R. (2004), Minimalism at War, "The Supreme Court Review", vol. 45, no. 1

https://doi.org/10.1086/scr.2004.3536968

TZEVELEKOS Vassilis P., DZEHTSIAROU Kanstantsin (2020), Normal as Usual? Human Rights in Times of COVID-19, "European Convention on Human Rights Law Review", vol. 1, no. 1.

https://doi.org/10.1163/26663236-00102001

VENICE COMMISSION (2006), Opinion on the Protection of Human Rights in Emergency Situations, CDL-AD(2006)015, Strasbourg.

VENICE COMMISSION (2016), Turkey, Opinion on the Legal Framework Governing Curfews, CDL-AD(2016)010, Strasbourg.

VENICE COMMISSION (2020), Venice Commission Opinions and Reports on States of Emergency, CDL-PI(2020)003, Strasbourg.

WALLACE Stuart (2020), Derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights: The Case for Reform, "Human Rights Law Review", vol. 20, no. 3.

https://doi.org/10.1093/hrlr/ngaa036

WHO (2020a), Modes of Transmission of Virus Causing COVID-19: Implication for IPC Precaution Recommendations, https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/modes-of-transmissionof-virus-causing-covid-19-implications-for-ipc-precaution-recommendations (12.12.2020).

WHO (2020b), Statement on the First Meeting of the International Health Regulations, Emergency Committee Regarding the Outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), https://www.who.int/news/item/23-01-2020-statement-on-the-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-outbreak-of-novel-coronavirus-(2019-ncov) (12.12.2020).

Similar publications