National and EU protection of Human Rights
Overview............................................................................................................................3
Judicial review....................................................................................................................3
Constitutional review of legislation....................................................................................3
Other types of judicial review.............................................................................................3
Constitutional Review of Legislation...................................................................................3
Arguments to justify the right for judges to review the constitutionality of legislation.......3
Arguments against the right for judges to review the constitutionality of legislation..........3
The Procedural Setting of Constitutional Review.................................................................5
Concrete review..................................................................................................................5
Abstract review..................................................................................................................5
Ex ante review....................................................................................................................5
Ex post review....................................................................................................................5
Decentralized system of review..........................................................................................5
Centralized system of review..............................................................................................5
US......................................................................................................................................5
Germany............................................................................................................................5
France................................................................................................................................5
United Kingdom.................................................................................................................5
The Netherlands.................................................................................................................6
Consequences.....................................................................................................................6
What exactly is the consequence of a judicial decision stating that a statute is
unconstitutional?...............................................................................................................6
Disapplication/ Invalidation/..............................................................................................6
Setting aside.......................................................................................................................6
Annulment/ declaring void.................................................................................................6
(further-reaching consequences)........................................................................................6
Germany............................................................................................................................6
US......................................................................................................................................6
Proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU...............................................................6
Conclusion:.........................................................................................................................7
Review of Treaty Law Compliance......................................................................................7
Judges would test legislation for their compatibility with a higher norm............................7
,(Is the treaty law really a higher norm?).............................................................................7
Monism..............................................................................................................................7
Dualism..............................................................................................................................7
European Union Law..........................................................................................................9
Preliminary question........................................................................................................10
National courts.................................................................................................................10
The Court System..............................................................................................................11
UK....................................................................................................................................11
Constitutional review........................................................................................................11
International Treaties and the ECHR.................................................................................12
France..............................................................................................................................14
Constitutional review........................................................................................................14
International treaties and the ECHR..................................................................................15
Netherlands......................................................................................................................16
Constitutional review........................................................................................................16
International treaties and the ECHR..................................................................................17
Germany..........................................................................................................................18
Constitutional review........................................................................................................18
International treaties and ECHR........................................................................................20
USA..................................................................................................................................21
Constitutional review........................................................................................................22
International treaties and ECHR........................................................................................22
European Union................................................................................................................23
EU Courts..........................................................................................................................23
The ECJ (and the Court).....................................................................................................23
National Court and EU......................................................................................................23
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.............................................................................24
(EU has developed its own Bill of Rights)..........................................................................24
, Overview
Judicial review A judge can examine a legal decision or norm, or another
object of scrutiny, and check its compatibility with a higher
norm
A judge may, depending on the system, test whether a
regional law is in harmony or in conflict with a higher,
national law
If the lower law provides rules that go against the provisions of the
higher law
the judge, if he has review power, may establish a conflict
Constitutional Judge may check whether an administrative decision by a
review of legislation public authority complies with the authorizing general
legislation
depending on the system, examine the validity of a
national statute by setting it against the national
constitution
Example
hypothetical review of the constitutionality of a criminal
provision that prescribes the death penalty whereas the
constitution bans the death penalty
Other types of the judge may review the constitutionality of political
judicial review parties
may review the compatibility of national law with general
principles of law, such as proportionality, or with an
international treaty, such as the European Convention on
Human Rights
where applicable, check the compliance of treaties or acts
of international organizations with the national
constitution
Judicial review is thus a court’s power to detect conflicts in law,
and possibly to attach consequences to resolve the conflict
Constitutional Review of Legislation
Arguments to justify the right for judges to Arguments against the right for judges
review the constitutionality of legislation to review the constitutionality of
legislation
1. Judicial review guarantees the The constitution can very well be
supremacy of Constitution supreme, without frustrating the will of
the constitution is the highest norm in a the lawmaker
legal system The lawmaker should simply
all other law derives from its authority take account of the
legislation should not be allowed to constitution when passing
violate the constitution statutes in the first place, and
judges should refuse to apply normal make the right choices itself,
statutes if they violate the constitution subject as it is to democratic
Having a constitution but no constitutional oversight from the voters
review powers for the courts would be pointless (democratically elected office-
since the lawmaker could violate the holders vs unelected judges)
Overview............................................................................................................................3
Judicial review....................................................................................................................3
Constitutional review of legislation....................................................................................3
Other types of judicial review.............................................................................................3
Constitutional Review of Legislation...................................................................................3
Arguments to justify the right for judges to review the constitutionality of legislation.......3
Arguments against the right for judges to review the constitutionality of legislation..........3
The Procedural Setting of Constitutional Review.................................................................5
Concrete review..................................................................................................................5
Abstract review..................................................................................................................5
Ex ante review....................................................................................................................5
Ex post review....................................................................................................................5
Decentralized system of review..........................................................................................5
Centralized system of review..............................................................................................5
US......................................................................................................................................5
Germany............................................................................................................................5
France................................................................................................................................5
United Kingdom.................................................................................................................5
The Netherlands.................................................................................................................6
Consequences.....................................................................................................................6
What exactly is the consequence of a judicial decision stating that a statute is
unconstitutional?...............................................................................................................6
Disapplication/ Invalidation/..............................................................................................6
Setting aside.......................................................................................................................6
Annulment/ declaring void.................................................................................................6
(further-reaching consequences)........................................................................................6
Germany............................................................................................................................6
US......................................................................................................................................6
Proceedings before the Court of Justice of the EU...............................................................6
Conclusion:.........................................................................................................................7
Review of Treaty Law Compliance......................................................................................7
Judges would test legislation for their compatibility with a higher norm............................7
,(Is the treaty law really a higher norm?).............................................................................7
Monism..............................................................................................................................7
Dualism..............................................................................................................................7
European Union Law..........................................................................................................9
Preliminary question........................................................................................................10
National courts.................................................................................................................10
The Court System..............................................................................................................11
UK....................................................................................................................................11
Constitutional review........................................................................................................11
International Treaties and the ECHR.................................................................................12
France..............................................................................................................................14
Constitutional review........................................................................................................14
International treaties and the ECHR..................................................................................15
Netherlands......................................................................................................................16
Constitutional review........................................................................................................16
International treaties and the ECHR..................................................................................17
Germany..........................................................................................................................18
Constitutional review........................................................................................................18
International treaties and ECHR........................................................................................20
USA..................................................................................................................................21
Constitutional review........................................................................................................22
International treaties and ECHR........................................................................................22
European Union................................................................................................................23
EU Courts..........................................................................................................................23
The ECJ (and the Court).....................................................................................................23
National Court and EU......................................................................................................23
The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.............................................................................24
(EU has developed its own Bill of Rights)..........................................................................24
, Overview
Judicial review A judge can examine a legal decision or norm, or another
object of scrutiny, and check its compatibility with a higher
norm
A judge may, depending on the system, test whether a
regional law is in harmony or in conflict with a higher,
national law
If the lower law provides rules that go against the provisions of the
higher law
the judge, if he has review power, may establish a conflict
Constitutional Judge may check whether an administrative decision by a
review of legislation public authority complies with the authorizing general
legislation
depending on the system, examine the validity of a
national statute by setting it against the national
constitution
Example
hypothetical review of the constitutionality of a criminal
provision that prescribes the death penalty whereas the
constitution bans the death penalty
Other types of the judge may review the constitutionality of political
judicial review parties
may review the compatibility of national law with general
principles of law, such as proportionality, or with an
international treaty, such as the European Convention on
Human Rights
where applicable, check the compliance of treaties or acts
of international organizations with the national
constitution
Judicial review is thus a court’s power to detect conflicts in law,
and possibly to attach consequences to resolve the conflict
Constitutional Review of Legislation
Arguments to justify the right for judges to Arguments against the right for judges
review the constitutionality of legislation to review the constitutionality of
legislation
1. Judicial review guarantees the The constitution can very well be
supremacy of Constitution supreme, without frustrating the will of
the constitution is the highest norm in a the lawmaker
legal system The lawmaker should simply
all other law derives from its authority take account of the
legislation should not be allowed to constitution when passing
violate the constitution statutes in the first place, and
judges should refuse to apply normal make the right choices itself,
statutes if they violate the constitution subject as it is to democratic
Having a constitution but no constitutional oversight from the voters
review powers for the courts would be pointless (democratically elected office-
since the lawmaker could violate the holders vs unelected judges)
