An invitation to make a choice of civilization: the European Court of Human Rights renounces the use of anonymous testimony as a decisive proof to motive a conviction
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22197/rbdpp.v5i1.226Keywords:
witness evidence, criminal evidence, fair trial, fundamental rights.Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to encourage a reflection on the use of anonymous witness evidence by the European Court of Human Rights. An analysis of the leading cases solved by the Strasbourg judges will provide an overview of the European case law developments on such a delicate topic, considering how the accused’s right of defence is seriously impaired when anonymous depositions are admitted in proceedings. The Court’s most recent decisions on this topic do create some concern. They represent a considerable step backward in the guaranteed right to confrontation, which, especially when dealing with anonymity, does not seem acceptable. While there is no question on the need to protect persons other than the accused in criminal proceedings and on the urgency to safeguard the safety of witnesses, when in danger, and preserve the source of evidence, on the other hand, it is hard to imagine what “counterbalancing procedures” could compensate for all that the accused is denied when the identity of the person making incriminating statements against him/her is concealed. It is, therefore, a matter of making a civilised choice, and of asking ourselves whether in a trial that still aspires to be defined as “fair”, anonymous incriminations may be tolerated.
Downloads
References
AURIEMMA, Mara. Sulla prova “unica o determinante”. Il caso Al-Khawaja c. Regno Unito, in Archivio penale, 2014.
BALSAMO, Antonio. Testimonianze anonime ed effettività delle garanzie sul terreno del diritto vivente nel processo di integrazione giuridica europea, in Cassazione penale, 2006.
BARTOLE, Sergio; DE SENA, Pasquale; ZAGREBELSKY, Vladimiro. Commentario breve alla Convenzione europea dei diritti dell’uomo, Padova, Cedam, 2012;
BEERNAERT, Marie-Aude. Témoignage anonyme: un vent nouveu de Strasbourg, in Revue de droit penal et de criminology, 1997.
BERG, Leif. Cohérence et impact de la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’Homme: liber amicorum Vincent Berger, Oisterwijk, Wolf Legal Publishers, 2013.
BERGER, Vincent. Jurisprudence de la Cour Européenne des Droits de l’Homme, XII ed., Paris, Sirey, 2014.
BIRAL, Marianna. The Right to Examine or Have Examined Witnesses as a Minimum Right for a Fair Trial, in European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, 2014.
BURNS, Seamus. Blind Shots at a Hidden Target, in New Law Journal, 2008.
CALLEWAERT, Johan. Témoignages anonymes et droits de la défense, in Revue trimestrielle des droits de l'homme, 1990.
CASIRAGHI, Roberta. Testimoni assenti: la Grande Camera ridefinisce la regola della “prova unica o determinante”, in Cassazione penale, 2012.
CHIAVARIO, Mario. Commento all’art. 6, in BARTOLE, Sergio; CONFORTI, Benedetto; RAIMONDI, Guido (a cura di), Commentario alla Convenzione europea per la tutela dei Diritti dell’Uomo e delle Libertà fondamentali, Padova, Cedam, 2001.
CHOO, Andrew. Hearsay and Confrontation in Criminal Trial, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1996.
DACAUX, Emmanuel; IMBERT, Pierre Henri; PETTITI, Louis Edmond (edited by). La Convention européenne des droits de l’homme, Commentaire article par article, Paris, Economica, 1995.
DE CATALDO NEUBURGER, Luisella. Esame e controesame nel processo penale, Padova, Cedam, 2000.
DE SALVIA, Michele. Compendium della CEDU, Napoli, Editoriale Scientifica, 2000.
DELMAS-MARTY, Mareille. Pour un droit commun, Paris, Le Seuil, 1994;
DENNIS, Ian. Al-Khawaja and Tahery v. United Kingdomo, Commentary, in The Criminal Law Review, 2012.
DI STASI, Angela (a cura di). CEDU e ordinamento italiano, Padova, Cedam, 2016.
DOAK, Jonathan; HUXLEY-BINNS, Rebecca. Anonymous Witnesses in England and Wales: Charting a Course from Strasbourg?, in The Journal of Crime Law, 2009, v. 73, n. 6.
DOURNEAU-JOSETTE, Pascal. Convention européenne des droits de l’homme: jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme en matèrie pénale, in Rubrique de l’Encyclopédie Dalloz, Répertoire de Droit Pénal et de Procédure Penale, Paris, 2013.
DWORKIN, Ronald. Taking Rights Seriously, Cambridge, Harvard University Press., 1977.
FERRUA, Paolo. Quattro fallacie in tema di prova, in Diritto penale e giustizia, 1, 2014.
FOCARELLI, Carlo. Equo processo e Convenzione europea dei diritti dell’uomo, Padova, Cedam, 2001.
FRIEDMAN, Richard,.Face to Face: Rediscovering the Right to Confront Prosecution Witnesses, in The International Journal of Evidence & Proof, 2004.
GANSHOF VAN DER MEERSCH, Walter J. Quelques aperçus de la méthode d’interpretation de la Convention de Rome du 4 novembre 1950 par la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, in AA.VV., Mélanges offerts à Robert Legros, Brussels, Editions de l’Université del Bruxelles, 1985.
GANSHOF VAN DER MEERSCH, Walter J. Les méthodes d’interprétation de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, in TURP, Daniel; BEAUDOIN, Gerald, Perspectives canadiennes et européennes des droits de la personne, Cowansville, Éditions Yvon Blais, 1986.
GOSS, Ryan. Criminal Fair Trial Rights, Portland, Hart Publishing 2014.
GREER, Steven. The European Convention on Human Rights: Achievements, Problems and Prospects, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
GREVI, Vittorio. Princìpi e garanzie del “giusto processo” penale nel quadro europeo, in AA.VV., LANFRANCHI, Lucio (a cura di), La Costituzione europea tra Stati nazionali e globalizzazione, Ist. enc. it., Roma, 2004.
HARRIS, David John. O’BOYLE, Michael; WARBRICK, Colin (edited by) Law of the European Convention on Human Rights, III ed., Oxford-New York, Oxford University Press, 2014.
HOWARTH, David. The Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Act, in Archbold News, 2008.
HOYANO, Laura C. H.. Coroners and Justice Act 2009: special measures directions take two: entrenching unequal access to justice?, in Criminal Law Review, 2010.
JACOBS, Francis; WHITE, Robin; OVEY, Clare (edited by). The European Convention on Human Rights, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.
JACOT-GUILLARMOD, Olivier, Règles. Méthodes et principes d’interprétation dans la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, in DACAUX, Emmanuel; IMBERT, Pierre Henri; PETTITI, Louis Edmond (edited by). La Convention européenne des droits de l’homme, Commentaire article par article, Paris, Economica, 1995.
KLIP, Andrè. European Criminal Law. An Integrative Approach, III ed., Antwerp, Intersentia.
KOSTORIS, Roberto E.. Manuale di procedura penale europea, Milano, Giuffrè, 2017.
KOSTORIS, Roberto E.. I consulenti tecnici nel processo penale, Milano, Giuffrè, 1993.
LEACH, Philip. Taking a case to the European Court of Human Rights, Oxford-New York, Oxford University Press, 2011.
LONATI, Simone. Il diritto dell’accusato a “interrogare o fare interrogare” le fonti di prova a carico, Torino, Giappichelli, 2008.
LONATI, Simone. Fair Trial and the Interpretation Approach Adopted by the Strasbourg Court, in European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, 2017.
MAFFEI, Stefano. The European Right to Confrontation in Criminal Proceedings – Absent, Anonymous and Vulnerable Witnesses, Groningen, Europa Law Pub Netherlands, 2006.
MAFFEI, Stefano. Il diritto al confronto con l’accusatore, Piacenza, La Tribuna, 2003.
MAFFEI, Stefano. Prove d’accusa e dichiarazioni di testimoni «assenti» in una recente sentenza della Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo, in Cassazione penale, 2001.
MARINGELE, Sarah. European Human Rights Law. The work of European Court of Human Rights, Hamburg, Anchor Academic Publishing, 2014.
MATSCHER, Franz. Methods of Interpretation of the Convention, in MCDONALD, Ronald St. J.; MATSCHER, Franz; PETZOLD, Herbert (edited by). The European System for the Protection of Human Rights, Dordrecht, Boston, London, Kluwer Law Intl, 1993.
MATSCHER, Franz. Le principe du contradictorie, in Documentaçao e dereito comparado, 1998.
MCINERNEY-LANKFORD, Siobhan. Fragmentation of International Law Redux: the Case of Strasbourg, in Oxford Journal Legal Studies, 2012, 32, (3).
MOSLER, Hermann. Problems of Interpretation in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights, in KALSHOVEN, Frits. Essay on the Development of the International Legal Order, Leyden, Springer, 1980.
O’BRIAN, William. The Right of Confrontation: Us and European Prospective, in Law Quarterly Review, 2005.
OMEROD, David. Evidence: Witnesses Anonymity, in Criminal Law Reviue, 2007.
ORMEROD, Daniel. Blackstone’s Criminal Practice, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2012.
ORMEROD, Daniel; CHOO, Andrew; EASTER, Rachel L.. Coroners and Justice Act 2009: the “witness anonymity” and “investigation anonymity” provisions, in Criminal Law Review, 2010.
OST, François. Les directives d’interprétation adoptées par la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme; l’esprit plutôt que la lettre?, in PERRIN, Jean François (edited by), Les règles d’interpretation, Freiburg, Ed. Universitaires, 1989.
OST, François. Originalità dei metodi di interpretazione della Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo, in DELMAS-MARTY, Mareille (a cura di), Verso un’Europa dei diritti dell’uomo, Padova, Cedam 1994.
REYNOLDS, Michael; KING, Philip S.D.. The Expert Witness and His Evidence, 2 ed., Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications,1992.
RENUCCI, Jean François. Droit européen des droits de l’homme – Contentieux européen, Paris, Lgdj, 2010.
SALVADEGO, Laura. La normativa internazionale sulla protezione dei testimoni nel contrasto alla criminalità organizzata transnazionale, in Rivista di diritto internazionale, 2014.
SATZGER, Helmut. International and European Criminal Law, München, Hart Pub Ltd, 2012.
SPENCER, Jhon R.. Hearsay Evidence in Criminal Proceedings, Oxford, Hart Publishing, 2008.
SUDRE, Frédéric; MARGUÉNAUD, Jean Pierre; ANDRIANTSIMBAZOVINA, Joël; GOUTTENOIRE, Adeline; GONZALES, Gèrarde; MILANO, Laure; SURREL, Hèléne. Les grands arrêts de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, VII ed., Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 2015.
SUDRE Frédéric. Les conflits de droits dans la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme, Bruxelles, Anthemis 2014.
SUDRE, Frédéric. A propos du dynamisme interpretative de la Cour européenne des droit de l’homme’, in La Semaine Juridique, Edition Générale, 11 Juillet 2001, I, no. 335.
SUDRE, Frédéric (edited by). L’interprétation de la Convention européenne des droit de l’homme, Brussels, Nemesis-Bruylant, coll. « Droit et justice », n. 21, Bruxelles, 1998.
TONAMI, Koji. Yoroppa Jinken saibansho no hanrei (Essential Cases of the European Court of Human Rights), Tokyo, Shinzan-sha, 2008.
UBERTIS, Giulio. Principi di procedura penale europea, Milano, Raffaello Cortina, 2000.
UBERTIS, Giulio; VIGANÒ, Francesco; (a cura di). Corte di Strasburgo e giustizia penale, Torino, Giappichelli, 2017.
UBERTIS, Giulio. La prova dichiarativa debole: problemi e prospettive in materia di assunzione della testimonianza della vittima vulnerabile alla luce della giurisprudenza sovranazionale, in Id., Argomenti di procedura penale, 3 ed., Milano, Giuffrè 2011.
VAN DIJK, Pietr; VAN HOFF, Fried; VAN RIJIN, Arjen; ZWAAK, Leo (edited by), Theory and practice of the European Convention on Human Rights, Antwerpen – Oxford, Intersentia, 2006.
VIGANÒ, Francesco. Il giudice penale e l’interpretazione conforme alle norme sovranazionali, in CORSO, Pier Maria; ZANETTI, Elena (a cura di). Studi in onore di Mario Pisani, II, Rimini, La Tribuna, 2010.
VOGLIOTTI, Massimo. La logica floue della Corte europea dei diritti dell’uomo tra tutela del testimone e salvaguardia del contraddittorio: il caso delle “testimonianze anonime”, in Giurisprudenza italiana, 1997.
WARD, Alan George. The Evidence of Anonymous Witnesses in Criminal Courts: now and into the future, in The Denning Law Journal, 2009, vol. 21.
ZACCHÈ, Francesco. Gli effetti della giurisprudenza europea in tema di privilegio contro le autoincriminazioni e diritto al silenzio, in BALSAMO, Antonio; KOSTORIS, Roberto E. (a cura di), Giurisprudenza europea e processo penale italiano, Torino, Giappichelli, 2010.
ZACCHÈ, Francesco. Il diritto al confronto nella giurisprudenza europea, in GAITO, Alfredo; CHINNICI, Daniela (a cura di), Regole europee e processo penale, Padova, Cedam, 2016.
ZACCHÉ, Francesco. Rimodulazione della giurisprudenza europea sui testimoni assenti, in Diritto penale contemporaneo, 17 gennaio 2012, consultabile all’indirizzo internet www.penalecontemporaneo.it.
ZAGREBELSKY, Gustavo. Il diritto mite, Torino, Feltrinelli,1992.
ZAGREBELSKY, Vladimiro. Relazione svolta al convegno “Processo penale e giustizia europea” (Torino, 26-27 settembre 2008), in AA. VV., Processo penale e giustizia europea. Omaggio a Giovanni Conso. Atti del Convegno dell’Associazione tra gli studiosi del processo penale, Torino, 26-27 settembre, Giuffrè, 2010.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
As of 2022, articles published in the RDPP are licensed under Creative Commons Atribuição 4.0 Internacional. rticles published until 2021 adopted the Creative Commons Atribuição-NãoComercial 4.0 Internacional.
How to Cite
