CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 29 octobre 1991

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s85F2E5C5 { width:30.44pt; display:inline-block } .s6863D229 { width:26pt; display:inline-block } .sBDAE81C4 { width:27.67pt; display:inline-block } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. September-October 1991 Helmers v. Sweden - 11826/85 Judgment 29.10.1991 Article 6 Article 6-1 Public hearing In a private prosecution for defamation, joined with an action for damages, first-instance judgment upheld by Court of Appeal without a public hearing: violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] I.   ARTICLE 6 § 1 OF THE CONVENTION A.   Scope of case Applicant's earlier application declared inadmissible by the Commission. Conclusion : no jurisdiction of the Court to examine applications (unanimous). B.   Applicability of Article 6 § 1 Article 6 §   1 applicable to the joined proceedings: although it does not guarantee a right for the individual to institute a criminal prosecution himself, here such a right was afforded by Swedish law and applicant availed himself thereof in order to protect his reputation; his right to enjoy a good reputation has a "civil" character and outcome of both sets of proceedings was decisive for it. C.   Compliance with Article 6 § 1 Manner of application of Article 6 to proceedings before courts of appeal depends on special features of the domestic proceedings viewed as a whole. Having regard to entirety of proceedings before Swedish courts, to role of Court of Appeal, to nature of issues submitted to it – which included serious questions regarding both facts and application of law and in particular the issue of the defendants' guilt or innocence – and to seriousness of what was at stake for applicant, no special features to justify absence of public hearing. Conclusion : violation (eleven votes to nine). II.   ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION Claims for pecuniary damage rejected as no causal link established between alleged damage and breach of Convention. Claim for non-pecuniary damage partially accepted. Conclusion : Sweden to pay specified sum for non-pecuniary damage (unanimous).   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes