,,Hard-Core Human Rights’’ in practice of the Constitutional Court of Serbia and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg : Constitutional-Court protection in criminal matter

Abstract

U ovom radu ćemo se osvrnuti na ustavnosudsku zaštitu onih prava koja spadaju u tzv. „tvrdo jezgro“ ljudskih prava. Naravno, izložićemo i praksu ESLjP o istoj materiji što će nam dati mogućnosti za određene zaključke. Sagledano u svetlu člana 15. stav 2. EKLjP „tvrdo jezgro“ obuhvata: pravo na život (član 2 EKLjP), zabranu mučenja (član 3 EKLjP), zabranu ropstva i prinudnog rada (član 4 EKLjP), kažnjavanje samo na osnovu zakona (član 7 EKLjP) i pravo da se ne bude dvaput suđen ili kažnjen u istoj stvari (član 4 Protokola 7). Ovom prilikom autor se bavi zaštitom prava na život, zabranom mučenja, kažnjavanjem samo na osnovu zakona i postulatom ne bis in idem. Imajući u vidu da pre ustavnosudske zaštite osnovnih ljudskih prava i sloboda u krivičnoj stvari dolazi zaštita koju pružaju redovni sudovi kroz primenu sistemskih zakona, u meri u kojoj je to neophodno za ovaj rad, autor se osvrće i na pojedine odredbe ovih zakona. Osnovna svrha krivičnog prava je zaštita društva od kriminaliteta ali istovremeno ono svojom svrhom ne sme da ugrozi dostignute standarde ljudskih prava. Da li neke negativne kriminalnopolitičke tendencije, kao što su pojačana represija i krivičnopravni ekspanzionizam, kojima se nastoji da se postigne osnovna svrha ustvari ugrožavaju ljudska prava. Na kraju, autor zaključuje da kriterijumi koje postavlja Evropski sud za ljudska prava u velikoj meri proširuju materijalne i procesne garancije i jemstva ne samo u Srbiji, već i u najvećem delu Evrope.In this paper we shall address the Constitutional Court protection of those rights which are considered the so-called “hard-core human rights”. Naturally, we shall also present the practice of the European Court of Human Rights in the same matter, which will make it possible for us to draw certain conclusions. Observed in the light of Article 15, par. 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the “hard core” includes: Right to Life (Article 2 of the Convention), Prohibition of Torture (Article 3 of the Convention), Prohibition of Slavery and Forced Labour (Article 4 of the Convention), No Punishment without Law (Article 7 of the Convention) and the Right not to be tried or punished twice (Article 4 of Protocol 7). On this occasion the author deals with the protection of the right to life, prohibition of torture, no punishment without law and ne bis in idem principle. Taking into account that the protection offered by regular courts through application of framework laws precedes the Constitutional Court protection of the basic human rights and freedoms in criminal matter, the author also addresses, to the extent necessary for this paper, certain provisions of these laws as well. The main purpose of criminal law is to protect society from crime but at the same time this purpose must not jeopardize the achieved human rights standards. Do some negative criminal-policy tendencies, such as increased repression and criminal-law expansionism, which are aimed at achieving the main purpose actually jeopardize the human rights? Finally, the author concludes that the criteria set by the European Court of Human Rights largely expand substantive and procedural guarantees and warranties not only in Serbia, but also in the majority of Europe