TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS
Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly
Synopsis No 2001/078
4 July 2001
The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 25 June 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights (Chairperson of the Sub-Committee: Mr McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC): heard a statement by the Chairperson of the Sub-Committee, held a short exchange of views, and was informed that the Sub-Committee would interview the remaining candidates from Moldova, Romania, and Ukraine at 7 pm that night;
- Abolition of the death penalty in Council of Europe observer States (Rapporteur: Mrs Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD): heard a statement by Mr Menda, a former death-row prisoner in Japan, took position on the amendment tabled to the draft resolution, and heard a report by the Rapporteur on the First World Congress against the Death Penalty (Strasbourg, 21-23 June 2001);
- Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Rapporteur: Mr Magnusson, Sweden, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur and held a short exchange of views;
- Sub-Committee on Human Rights: appointed Mr lrtemçelik (Turkey, EDG) as an alternate for Mr Akçali (Turkey, EDG);
- Situation in Belarus (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Svoboda, Czech Republic, EPP/CD): decided, on the proposal of the Rapporteur, to hold a hearing on the human rights situation in Belarus on Thursday 28 June 2001, at 2 pm, and to invite two prominent human rights defenders from the country to speak at the hearing.
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 26 June 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards
- Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights (Rapporteur: Mr McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC): heard a report on the meeting of the Sub-Committee held on 25 June 2001;
- A campaign against trafficking in children to put a stop to the East European route: the example of Moldova (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Jaskiernia, Poland, SOC): considered a report submitted by the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, and asked its Rapporteur to present an oral opinion;
- Social consequences of and responses to drug misuse in member States (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Marty, Switzerland, LDR): considered a report submitted by the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, amended and adopted a draft opinion submitted by the Rapporteur, as well as amendments to the report;
- Joint Working Group on Chechnya (Representatives of the Committee: Mr Bindig, Mrs Nabholz-Haidegger and Mr Spindelegger): heard a statement by Mr Bindig (Germany, SOC) on the work of the Joint Working Group, and took note of the «Ninth interim report by the Secretary General on the presence of the Council of Europe’s experts in the Office of the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for ensuring Human Rights and Civil Rights and Freedoms in the Chechen Republic»;
- Violation of basic human rights of the enclaved population in the occupied area of Cyprus (Rapporteur: Mr Marty, Switzerland, LDR): considered an introductory memorandum submitted by the Rapporteur, and authorised him to go to Cyprus in Autumn 2001 and to change the title of the report.
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The Sub-Committee on Human Rights, of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 26 June 2001 with Mrs Wohlwend in the Chair, as regards:
- Implementation of decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (Rapporteur: Mr Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC): considered an introductory memorandum submitted by the Rapporteur, and took note of the replies of Austria and Greece to the letters sent by the President of the Assembly;
- Next meeting:
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly’s September 2001 part-session.
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 27 June 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair, as regards:
- Operation of the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of sentenced persons – critical analysis and recommendations (Rapporteur: Mr Enright, Ireland, EPP/CD): took position on the amendments submitted on behalf of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee;
- Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for membership of the Council of Europe (Rapporteur for opinion: Mrs Jäätteenmäki, Finland, LDR): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on her visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 11 to 13 June 2001, and decided to ask for the opinion of the European Commission for Democracy through Law («Venice Commission») on the draft electoral law(s) currently being examined by the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina;
- Religious freedom and religious minorities in France (Rapporteur: Mr Akçali, Turkey, EDG): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on his visit to the Interministerial Anti-Cult Mission (MILS) on 19 June 2001, considered the note he had prepared, took note of the law adopted on 12 June 2001, had an exchange of views on the matter, and authorised the Rapporteur to consult an expert;
- Appointment of rapporteurs:
i. Fight against corruption: Mr Tallo (Estonia, SOC)
ii. Psychiatry and human rights: Mrs Mikaelsson (Sweden, UEL)
i. Video surveillance of public areas: Mr Monteiro (Portugal, SOC)
iv. Office of Lord Chancellor in the constitutional system of the United Kingdom: Mr Jurgens (Netherlands, SOC)
v. The right of association for members of the professional staff of the armed forces: Mrs van Ardenne-van der Hoeven (Netherlands, EPP/CD)
vi. Former embassies as real estate of the Baltic States on the territory of some Council of Europe member States: Mr Magnusson (Sweden, SOC).
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 28 June 2001 with Mr Magnusson, 1st Vice-Chairperson, in the Chair, as regards:
- Case of Ilie Ilascu (Rapporteur: Mrs Err, Luxembourg, SOC): decided to take up this question again at a future meeting;
- Action against racism, xenophobia and intolerance (Rapporteur: Mr McNamara, United Kingdom, SOC): proposed to the Bureau to appoint the Rapporteur as a member of the Council of Europe delegation to the World Conference against Racism (Durban, South Africa, first week of September 2001);
- Protection of minorities in Belgium (Rapporteur: Mrs Nabholz-Haidegger, Switzerland, LDR): authorised the Rapporteur to visit the country again;
- Political prisoners in Azerbaijan (Rapporteur: Mr Clerfayt, Belgium, LDR): authorised the Rapporteur to go to Azerbaijan in Autumn 2001, decided to invite one of the experts appointed by the Secretary General to one of its next meetings, and instructed its Chairperson to ask the President of the Assembly to send another letter to the Azeri authorities urging them to take positive action regarding political prisoners, in particular those mentioned in Assembly Opinion 111 (2000);
- Legal situation of Roma in Europe (Rapporteur: Mr Tabajdi, Hungary, SOC): considered an introductory memorandum submitted by the Rapporteur, and decided to transmit the memorandum to the Assembly committees seized for opinion on the matter;
- 9th International Judicial Conference: “Courts of ultimate appeal: Issues of judicial independence” (Budapest, 25-27 May 2001) (Representative of the Committee: Mr Jaskiernia, Poland, SOC): heard a statement on the Conference by the representative of the Committee;
(with Mr Jansson in the Chair:)
- Situation in Belarus (Rapporteur for opinion: Mr Svoboda, Czech Republic, EPP/CD): held a hearing on human rights in Belarus with Mrs Pratsko, Chairperson of the Byelorussian Helsinki Committee, and Mr Zvozskau, Chairman of the Coordination Committee of the Assembly of Non-Governmental Democratic Organisations of Belarus.
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The Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology, of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 28 June 2001 with Mr Jaskiernia in the Chair, as regards:
- Council of Europe draft Convention on Cyber-crime (Rapporteur: Mr Tallo, Estonia, SOC): heard a statement by the Rapporteur on the draft convention adopted by the European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC);
- European Committee on Crime Problems (CDPC) (Representative of the Committee: Mr Tallo, Estonia, SOC): heard a statement by the representative of the Committee on the meeting of the CDPC held in Strasbourg from 18 to 22 June 2001;
- Harmonisation of criminal law in Europe (Rapporteur: Mr Olteanu, Romania, SOC): decided to hold a working meeting on the matter in October/November 2001 with the participation of the three experts appointed at the meeting;
- Fight against corruption (Rapporteur: Mr Tallo, Estonia, SOC): decided to invite the Chairperson of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) to an exchange of views at one of its meetings during the September 2001 part-session;
- Next meetings:
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly’s September 2001 part-session
. Paris, 30 October 2001 at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office) [to be confirmed]
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The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, meeting in Strasbourg on 29 June 2001 with Mr Jansson in the Chair:
- Draft Second Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters (Rapporteur: Mr Dreyfus-Schmidt, France, SOC): took position on the amendments to the draft opinion;
- Prevention of recidivism in crimes against minors (Rapporteur: Mr Shaklein, Russia, UEL): considered a draft questionnaire submitted by the Rapporteur, and decided to send it to the Chairpersons of National Delegations kindly requesting them to reply before 31 October 2001;
- 24th Conference of European Ministers of Justice (Moscow, 4-5 October 2001): appointed its Chairperson to represent the Assembly at the Conference;
- Joint NGO/Parliamentary Conference on "Citizenship, solidarity: what sort of Europe do we want?" (Strasbourg, 6-7 November 2001): appointed Mr Kresák (Slovakia, LDR) as its second representative at the Conference;
- Next meetings:
Plenary Committee :
. The Hague (Netherlands), 10-11 September 2001
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly’s September 2001 part-session
. Paris, 29 October 2001
. Paris, 26 November 2001
Sub-Committee on Human Rights:
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly’s September 2001 part-session
Sub-Committee on Penal Law and Criminology:
. Strasbourg, during the Assembly’s September 2001 part-session
. Paris, 30 October 2001 at 9 h 30 (Council of Europe Office) [to be confirmed]
Allard A. Plate, Danielle Coin, Tanja Kleinsorge, David Cupina