Freedom of expression of judges

11.03.2008

Cristi Danile Judge, Romania cdanilet@just.ro

1. On 26 February 2009, in case of KUDES K!"# $. %USS!# &#''lication no. 29(92)0*+, t,e -ourt fro. Strasbour/ ,as ta0en a $ery i.'ortant decision re/ardin/ jud/es1 freedo. of e2'ression. 3s Ol/a 4oriso$na Kudes,0ina ,ad been 5or0in/ as a jud/e for 67 years. Fro. 6 "o$e.ber 2000 s,e ,eld judicial office at t,e 3osco5 -ity -ourt. !n Dece.ber 2008, durin/ /eneral elections for t,e State Du.a of t,e %ussian Federation, 3s.Kudes,0ina /a$e so.e inter$ie5s to t,e radio and ne5s'a'ers. S,e .ade t,e follo5in/ state.ents9 Years of working in the Moscow City Court have led me to doubt the existence of independent courts in Moscow. Instances of a court being put under pressure to take a certain decision are not that rare, not only in cases of great public interest but also in cases encroaching on the interests of certain individuals of conse uence or of particular groups! "...# In the course of the examination one of her biggest case was withdrawn from me by the Moscow City Court $resident, Yegorova, without any explanation! "...# Yegorova called me several times, whenever the prosecutor thought that the proceedings were not going the right way% on the last occasion I was called out of the deliberations room, which is unheard of. &ever in my life had I been shouted at like that! "...# 'he public prosecutor exerted pressure on me. You put a uestion to the victim, and he immediately challenges you! "...# 'his is not the only case where the courts of law are used as an instrument of commercial, political or personal manipulation! "...# !if all (udges keep uiet this country may soon end up in a )state of* (udicial lawlessness!. On 66 3ay 200( t,e i/, :udiciary ;ualification <anel re'orted to t,e <resident of t,e Su're.e -ourt t,eir findin/s concernin/ t,e co.'laint a/ainst 3s =e/oro$a, and decided t,at t,ere 5ere no /rounds for c,ar/in/ 3s =e/oro$a 5it, a disci'linary offence. !n t,e .eanti.e, t,e <resident of t,e 3osco5 :udicial -ouncil sou/,t ter.ination of t,e 3s.Kudes,0ina>s office as a jud/e. e a''lied to t,e :udiciary ;ualification 4oard of 3osco5, alle/in/ t,at durin/ Kudes,0ina1s election ca.'ai/n s,e ,ad be,a$ed in a .anner inconsistent 5it, t,e aut,ority and standin/ of a jud/e. e clai.ed t,at in ,er inter$ie5s s,e ,ad intentionally insulted t,e court syste. and indi$idual jud/es and ,ad .ade false state.ents t,at could .islead t,e 'ublic and under.ine t,e aut,ority of t,e judiciary. On 69 3ay 200( t,e :udiciary ;ualification 4oard of 3osco5 e2a.ined t,e 3osco5 :udicial -ouncil>s re?uest. 3s.Kudes,0ina 5as absent fro. t,e 'roceedin/s, a''arently 5it,out any $alid e2cuse. @,e :udiciary ;ualification 4oard of 3osco5 decided t,at 3s. Kudes,0ina ,ad co..itted a disci'linary offence and t,at ,er office as a jud/e 5as to be ter.inated in accordance 5it, t,e Aa5 BOn t,e Status of :ud/es in t,e %ussian FederationC.

@,e Euro'ean -ourt of u.an %i/,ts reiterates t,at issues concernin/ t,e functionin/ of t,e justice syste. constitute ?uestions of 'ublic interest, t,e debate on 5,ic, enjoys t,e 'rotection of #rticle 60 of t,e Euro'ean -on$ention on u.an %i/,ts. o5e$er, t,e -ourt ,as in .any occasions e.',asised t,e s'ecial role in society of t,e :udiciary, 5,ic,, as t,e /uarantor of justice, a funda.ental $alue in a la5D/o$erned State, .ust enjoy 'ublic confidence if it is to be successful in carryin/ out its duties. !t .ay t,erefore 'ro$e necessary to 'rotect t,at confidence a/ainst destructi$e attac0s 5,ic, are essentially unfounded, es'ecially in $ie5 of t,e fact t,at jud/es 5,o ,a$e been criticised are subject to a duty of discretion t,at 'recludes t,e. fro. re'lyin/. @,e -ourt notes t,at t,e disci'linary 'roceedin/s entailed t,e loss of t,e judicial office s,e ,eld in t,e 3osco5 -ity -ourt and of any 'ossibility of e2ercisin/ t,e 'rofession of jud/e. @,is 5as undoubtedly a se$ere 'enalty and it .ust ,a$e been e2tre.ely distressin/ for 3s. Kudes,0ina to ,a$e lost access to t,e 'rofession s,e ,ad e2ercised for 67 years. @,is 5as t,e strictest a$ailable 'enalty t,at could be i.'osed in t,e disci'linary 'roceedin/s and, in t,e li/,t of t,e -ourt>s findin/s abo$e, did not corres'ond to t,e /ra$ity of t,e offence. 3oreo$er, it could undoubtedly discoura/e ot,er jud/es in t,e future fro. .a0in/ state.ents critical of 'ublic institutions or 'olicies, for fear of t,e loss of judicial office. So, -ourt of Strasbour/ decided t,at t,ere ,as been a $iolation of #rticle 60 of t,e -on$ention9 t,e do.estic aut,orities failed to stri0e t,e ri/,t balance bet5een t,e need to 'rotect t,e aut,ority of t,e :udiciary and t,e 'rotection of t,e re'utation or ri/,ts of ot,ers, on t,e one ,and, and t,e need to 'rotect 3s. Kudes,0ina>s ri/,t to freedo. of e2'ression on t,e ot,er. !t is t,e -ourt>s assess.ent t,at t,e 'enalty at issue 5as dis'ro'ortionately se$ere and 5as, .oreo$er, ca'able of ,a$in/ a Bc,illin/ effectC6 on jud/es 5is,in/ to 'artici'ate in t,e 'ublic debate on t,e effecti$eness of t,e judicial institutions. 2. @,e inde'endence of justice ,as t5o a''roac,es 29 a. structural inde'endence E t,e relations 5it, t,e Ae/islature and t,e E2ecuti$eF b. 'ersonal inde'endence E and t,e safe/uards are9 recruit.ent of jud/es, tenure and stability of ter., irre.o$ability, financial security, 'rotection of t,e jud/es, liability of jud/es, freedom of expression and association, trainin/ and education, t,e ri/,t and duty to 'ro$ide due 'rocess, 'ublicity of 'roceedin/s, stability of jud/.ent, obli/ation to .oti$ate t,e decisions.

@,e -ourt recalls t,e Bc,illin/ effectC t,at t,e fear of sanction ,as on t,e e2ercise of freedo. of e2'ression &see, mutatis mutandis, +ille, cited abo$e, G *0F &ikula v. ,inland, no. 86666)96, G *(, E- % 2002D!!F Cumpana and Ma-are v. .omania HI-J, no. 888(7)96, G 66(, E- % 200(DK!F and /lci and 0thers v. 'urkey, nos. 286(*)98 and 2*096)9(, G L6(, 68 "o$e.ber 2008+. @,is effect, 5,ic, 5or0s to t,e detri.ent of society as a 5,ole, is li0e5ise a factor 5,ic, concerns t,e 'ro'ortionality of, and t,us t,e justification for, t,e sanctions i.'osed on t,e a''licant, 5,o, as t,e -ourt ,as ,eld abo$e, 5as undeniably entitled to brin/ to t,e 'ublic>s attention t,e .atter at issue. 2 For details, see -risti Danilet, 1 Independence and Impartiality of 1ustice. International 2trandards3 , 2007, on 555.euro'eanri/,ts.eu.

@,e Kudes,0ina decision is about jud/es1 freedo. of e2'ression 8. ! 5is, to re.e.ber t,at .any ti.es jud/es are disci'linary 'rosecuted for state.ents or acts re/ardin/ .alfunctionin/ of justice syste. or 'olitics relatin/ justice. For e2a.'le, On 3arc, 6t, 200L, t,e <resident of t,e Ieneral -ouncil of t,e S'anis, :udicial #ut,ority re?uested t,at a disci'linary in$esti/ation be o'ened a/ainst t,e si/natories of t,e Manifesto for a .ational 4ebate about Criminal $olicy . 3EDEA( ,as assu.ed a 'ublic 'osition for su''ortin/ t,e 3anifesto, and for e2'ressin/ t,e full solidarity 5it, S'anis, collea/ues 5,o ,a$e, as .a/istrates and citiMens, 'artici'ated in a $ery needed 'ublic debate o$er cri.inal 'olicy *. @,is $alue, t,e jud/es1 freedo. of e2'ression, is re/ulated by so.e i.'ortant international instru.ents re/ardin/ t,e justice inde'endence9 art. 7 and 9 of t,e 4asic <rinci'les on t,e !nde'endence of :udiciary &United "ations, 697*+ and art ( fro. %eco..andation &9(+ 62 on t,e inde'endence, efficiency ant role of jud/es &-o.ittee of 3inisters fro. -ouncil of Euro'e+. #nd t,is $alue .ust be defended fro. t,e outside attac0s to t,e :udiciary, but also fro. t,e inside attac0s by t,e :udiciary itself. ! t,in0 t,at t,e :udiciary ,as a res'onsibility to ensure 'ublic confidence in t,e syste. of t,e justice. @,at1s 5,y t,e jud/es .ust en/a/e in co..unication 5it, t,e 'ublic, if t,at co..unication 5ill ac,ie$e t,ose objecti$es 6. 3e.bers of t,e :udiciary often ,a$e stron/ $ie5s on ,o5 t,e justice syste. 5or0s, ,o5 it is or/aniMed and ,o5 is functionin/. For t,ese reasons, t,e jud/es .ust not be sanctioned, but to be encoura/ed to s'ea0 out about 'ressures and abuses re/ardin/ justice. @,ey ,a$e to ,a$e a stron/ s'irit of justice, bot, in session roo.s and in out of t,e.. @,at because t,e justice and t,e inde'endence are not 'ri$ile/es for jud/es, but ri/,ts for citiMens.

For anot,er i.'ortant decision in$ol$in/ jud/es, see -EDO, 0lu(ic v. Crotia, jud/e.ent on *.02.20099 so.e .e.bers of judicial council .ade 'ublic state.ents re/ardin/ a disci'linary action a/ainst a jud/e before t,e endin/ of disci'linary 'roceedin/s. @,e -ourt of Strasbour/ ,as decided t,at t,ose .e.bers ,a$e bro0en t,e rule of i.'artiality and it 5as a $iolation of t,e article 6 -EDO E t,e ri/,t to a fair trial. 4 3edel &acrony. of 3a/istrats euro'Nens 'our la dN.ocratie et les libertNs+ is an #ssociation constituted in 697* t,at at t,e bein/ ti.e is 'resent in 6( Euro'ean -ountries. Details on 555..edelnet.or/. 5 See t,e 'ublic state.ent O 'he Case for ,reedom of /xpression of Magistrates C about t,e situation in S'ain, .arc, 2007, on 3edel 5eb site. 6 @,e on :o,n Doyle, -,ief :ustice of Sout, #ustralia, B 2hould 1udges 2peak 0ut5, 2006, on ,tt'9))555.jca.asn.au)attac,.ents)doyle.'df