CEDH · CASELAW;COMMUNICATEDCASES;ENG — 8 août 2025

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .s379BC09C { margin-top:36pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s5E1364CA { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:14pt } .s339D85E6 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s665E407E { margin-top:66pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center; page-break-inside:avoid; page-break-after:avoid } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s10950C61 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:justify } .s5FFF0A75 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:7pt } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s39E5096F { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; text-align:center } .s23860FF7 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-indent:14.2pt; text-align:center } .s75A32C27 { border-collapse:collapse } .s3695F815 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top; background-color:#dfdfdf } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .sEECE831 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; color:#474747 } .sE8934522 { border:0.75pt solid #949494; padding:1.02pt 5.03pt; vertical-align:top } Published on 25 August 2025   SECOND SECTION Application no. 49768/19 Ildikó BANGÓNÉ BORBÉLY and Others against Hungary lodged on 5 September 2019 communicated on 8 August 2025 SUBJECT MATTER OF THE CASE The application concerns the imposition of a fine on opposition members of Parliament by the Speaker of Parliament. On 12 December 2018 a voting procedure regarding a bill amending the Labour Code and other related acts to increase the permissible hours of overtime in the private sector took place in Parliament. The applicants expressed their disagreement with the bill by physically blocking the Speaker’s access to the pulpit and by resorting to other means (listed in the appended Table). Subsequently, the Speaker imposed fines on them in amounts equalling to one month’s salary. The applicants challenged the Speaker’s decisions before the Immunity Committee. Since the Committee did not take a decision within the prescribed time-period, the decisions were submitted to a vote of the plenary Parliament, which upheld the decisions by a majority during its session on 19   March 2019. The applicants rely on Article 10 of the Convention and complain that the impugned measure was unnecessary and disproportionate, and that the procedural safeguards available to challenge the Speaker’s decisions were not appropriate or sufficient.     QUESTIONS TO THE PARTIES 1.     Has there been an interference with the applicants’ freedom of expression, within the meaning of Article 10 § 1 of the Convention, by the imposition of a fine on the applicants, in particular having regard to their role as elected Members of Parliament participating in debates of public interest and scrutinising decisions of the Government?   2.     If so, was that interference prescribed by law and necessary in terms of Article 10 § 2 (see Karácsony and Others v. Hungary [GC], nos. 42461/13 and 44357/13, §§ 137-47, 17 May 2016)? In particular, were the reasons adduced by the national authorities to justify the amounts of the fines relevant and sufficient ( ibid ., § 148) and was the measure accompanied by effective and adequate procedural safeguards ( ibid ., §§ 151 and 156-57)?     APPENDIX List of applicants:   Application no. Case name Introduction date Applicant’s name Year of birth Place of residence Nationality Representative’s name Location Specific conduct (if any) and amount of the fine 49768/19 Bangóné Borbély and Others v. Hungary 05/09/2019 Ildikó BANGÓNÉ BORBÉLY 1972 Kaba Hungarian Zita GURMAI 1965 Budapest Hungarian Tamás Attila HARANGOZÓ 1979 Szekszárd Hungarian Dezső HISZÉKENY 1956 Budapest Hungarian Lajos KORÓZS 1958 Eger Hungarian Ágnes KUNHALMI 1982 Budapest Hungarian   Gyula MOLNÁR 1961 Budapest Hungarian Zsolt Krisztián MOLNÁR 1974 Budapest Hungarian Sándor SZABÓ 1975 Szeged Hungarian József TÓBIÁS 1970 Törökbálint Hungarian Bertalan TÓTH 1975 Pécs Hungarian László VARGA 1979 Miskolc Hungarian Evelyn FRANK Budapest Having used a whistle; amount of 1,514,700 Hungarian forints (HUF)   Having used a whistle; amount of HUF 1,069,200     Amount of HUF 1,514,700         Conduct displayed as a parliamentary official; amount of HUF 1,514,700   Amount of HUF 1,514,700       Having used a whistle and displayed placards; amount of HUF 1,336,500 Amount of HUF 1,336,500       Amount of HUF 1,336,500         Having used a whistle; amount of HUF 1,514,700     Amount of HUF 891,000       Having used a whistle; amount of HUF 1,782,000     Conduct displayed as a parliamentary official; amount of HUF 1,514,700