THE MEANING AND FUNCTION OF JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE UNDER THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
2025, 107, Numer 1
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Judicial independence is one of the cornerstones of modern constitutionalism. Without an independent judiciary, effective oversight of government action would be impossible, and the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms would likely remain illusory. Importantly, in contemporary Europe, judicial independence can no longer be viewed as solely a matter of domestic law. On the contrary, it is one of the pillars of the transnational European legal order, which is constituted by the standards developed by the Council of Europe and European Union law. These two systems influence each other, as evidenced by numerous references in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to one another. These references also concern the interpretation of the notion of judicial independence. This article aims to examine the significance of judicial independence under one of the founding documents of the European legal order, that is the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR, Convention). The analysis focuses on how the ECtHR interprets the concept of ‘judicial independence’, and the role this safeguard plays within the Convention’s broader normative structure. The central thesis advanced here is that the significance of judicial independence cannot be reduced solely to Article 6 of the ECHR. In fact, it serves a dual function. On the one hand, it forms part of the individual’s right to a court. On the other hand, it serves as a value influencing the interpretation of all provisions of the Convention. The article is divided into two main sections. The first part explores the substance of judicial independence as developed in the ECtHR’s case law. The second addresses the functions of this principle within the framework of the Convention. This section first briefly considers judicial independence as part of a subjective right under Article 6 ECHR, and then examines its broader impact on the interpretation of other Convention rights. The article concludes with a summary of the key findings.
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