A Constitutionalist Approach to the European Convention on Human Rights
The Legitimacy of Evolutive and Static Interpretation
Published on 24. March 2022
Book
Hardback
224 pages
978-1-5099-4687-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book presents a new constitutional argument for the legitimacy of evolutive interpretation of the ECHR. It constructs a model, in which evolutive and static constitutional principles are balanced with each other.
The author argues that there are three possible interpretive approaches in time-sensitive interpretations of the ECHR, but that only one of them is justifiable by reference to the constitutional principles of the ECHR in every single case.
The ECHR's constitutional principles either require an evolutive or static interpretation or they do not establish a preference relation at all, which leads to a margin of appreciation of the member states in the interpretation of the Convention. The balancing model requires the determination of the weights of the competing evolutive and static constitutional principles. For this purpose, the author defines weighting factors for determining the importance of evolutive or static interpretation in a concrete case.
The author argues that there are three possible interpretive approaches in time-sensitive interpretations of the ECHR, but that only one of them is justifiable by reference to the constitutional principles of the ECHR in every single case.
The ECHR's constitutional principles either require an evolutive or static interpretation or they do not establish a preference relation at all, which leads to a margin of appreciation of the member states in the interpretation of the Convention. The balancing model requires the determination of the weights of the competing evolutive and static constitutional principles. For this purpose, the author defines weighting factors for determining the importance of evolutive or static interpretation in a concrete case.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 165 mm
Width: 241 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
504 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5099-4687-7 (9781509946877)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Lisa Sonnleitner
A Constitutionalist Approach to the European Convention on Human Rights
The Legitimacy of Evolutive and Static Interpretation
E-Book
04/2022
1st Edition
Hart Publishing
€48.49
Available for download
Person
Lisa Sonnleitner is Lecturer of Jurisprudence at Karl-Franzens University Graz, Austria.
Content
PART I
FUNDAMENTALS
1. On the Concepts of Law and Human Rights
I. The Dual Nature of Law
II. The Concept of Human Rights
2. A New Concept of Evolutive and Static Interpretation
I. Evolutive Interpretation Within a Normative Theory of Interpretation
II. Evolutive Interpretation as an Element of the Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. Static Interpretation as the Parameter for Evolutive Interpretation
3. The Legitimacy of Evolutive Interpretation Revisited
I. Evolutive Interpretation and the ECHR
II. Evolutive Interpretation and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
III. Evolutive Interpretation and General Principles of International Law
4. The Criticism against Evolutive Interpretation Revisited
I. Democratic Legitimacy of Evolutive Interpretation
II. Sovereignty
III. Rule of Law
PART II
THE ECHR CONSTITUTION
5. The Argument of Constitutionalism
I. Constitutionalism in the International Realm
II. Cosmopolitan Constitutionalism
III. Deliberative or Discursive Constitutionalism
6. The Constitutional Nature of the ECHR
I. The Constitutional Status of the ECHR's Judicial Review Mechanism
II. Locating the ECHR in the International Constitutionalism Debate
7. Three Basic Constitutional Principles of the ECHR
I. The Three Pillars of the Council of Europe as Constitutional Principles
II. The Ideal and Real Dimension in the ECHR
III. Time Dimension of Interpretation and the Dual Nature of the ECHR
PART III
BALANCED LEGITIMACY MODEL
8. Setting the Scene for Balancing at the Interpretation Stage
I. The Distinction between Rules and Principles
II. Connecting Static and Evolutive Interpretation to Formal and Material Principles
III. Balancing in the Different Stages of Law Application
IV. Balancing of Interpretive Canons
9. The Balancing Model for Evolutive and Static Interpretation
I. Basic Ideas on the Balancing Model
II. Critical Aspects of Balancing in Human Rights Interpretation
III. Internal Structure of the Balancing Model
IV. Weight Formula
10. External Justification
I. How to Accord Weights in the ECHR?
II. Weighting Rules in the Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The Epistemic Reliability of the Underlying Premises
PART IV
THE BALANCED LEGITIMACY MODEL APPLIED
11. The Right to Divorce
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. The Legitimacy of the Evolutive Approach to Interpretation
12. The Right to Assisted Suicide
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. The Legitimacy of the Static Approach to Interpretation
13. The Right to Preservation of the Environment
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. A Stalemate Case
FUNDAMENTALS
1. On the Concepts of Law and Human Rights
I. The Dual Nature of Law
II. The Concept of Human Rights
2. A New Concept of Evolutive and Static Interpretation
I. Evolutive Interpretation Within a Normative Theory of Interpretation
II. Evolutive Interpretation as an Element of the Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. Static Interpretation as the Parameter for Evolutive Interpretation
3. The Legitimacy of Evolutive Interpretation Revisited
I. Evolutive Interpretation and the ECHR
II. Evolutive Interpretation and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
III. Evolutive Interpretation and General Principles of International Law
4. The Criticism against Evolutive Interpretation Revisited
I. Democratic Legitimacy of Evolutive Interpretation
II. Sovereignty
III. Rule of Law
PART II
THE ECHR CONSTITUTION
5. The Argument of Constitutionalism
I. Constitutionalism in the International Realm
II. Cosmopolitan Constitutionalism
III. Deliberative or Discursive Constitutionalism
6. The Constitutional Nature of the ECHR
I. The Constitutional Status of the ECHR's Judicial Review Mechanism
II. Locating the ECHR in the International Constitutionalism Debate
7. Three Basic Constitutional Principles of the ECHR
I. The Three Pillars of the Council of Europe as Constitutional Principles
II. The Ideal and Real Dimension in the ECHR
III. Time Dimension of Interpretation and the Dual Nature of the ECHR
PART III
BALANCED LEGITIMACY MODEL
8. Setting the Scene for Balancing at the Interpretation Stage
I. The Distinction between Rules and Principles
II. Connecting Static and Evolutive Interpretation to Formal and Material Principles
III. Balancing in the Different Stages of Law Application
IV. Balancing of Interpretive Canons
9. The Balancing Model for Evolutive and Static Interpretation
I. Basic Ideas on the Balancing Model
II. Critical Aspects of Balancing in Human Rights Interpretation
III. Internal Structure of the Balancing Model
IV. Weight Formula
10. External Justification
I. How to Accord Weights in the ECHR?
II. Weighting Rules in the Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The Epistemic Reliability of the Underlying Premises
PART IV
THE BALANCED LEGITIMACY MODEL APPLIED
11. The Right to Divorce
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. The Legitimacy of the Evolutive Approach to Interpretation
12. The Right to Assisted Suicide
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. The Legitimacy of the Static Approach to Interpretation
13. The Right to Preservation of the Environment
I. Facts of the Case
II. Time Dimension of Interpretation
III. The ECtHR's Reasoning
IV. The Balancing of Static and Evolutive Interpretation
V. A Stalemate Case