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The Right to Liberty in European Union Law and Mutual Recognition in Criminal Matters

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2016

Leandro MANCANO
Leandro MANCANO*
Affiliation:
School of Law, University of Edinburgh
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Abstract

This article analyses the interaction between the application of mutual recognition in criminal matters and the right to liberty. The main argument is that the current content of the right to liberty in EU law is unsuitable for mutual recognition procedures. As for the structure of this article, firstly, the main features of mutual recognition as a method of inter-state cooperation in criminal matters are outlined. Secondly, the approach of the European Union (especially the Court of Justice) to the right to liberty is clarified. Thirdly, four mutual recognition instruments are analysed in light of the right to liberty: namely, the Framework Decisions on the European Arrest Warrant; the Transfer of Prisoners; the Probation Measures; and the European Supervision Order (ESO). The assessment confirms that the higher level of automaticity in judicial cooperation introduced by mutual recognition requires a rethink of the existing understanding of the right to liberty in EU law.

Keywords

right to libertymutual recognitioncriminal lawtransfer of persons
Type
Articles
Information
Cambridge Yearbook of European Legal Studies , Volume 18 , December 2016 , pp. 215 - 238
Copyright
© Centre for European Legal Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge 

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Footnotes

*

For the completion of this article, I benefited from a fellowship at Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa. I wish to thank Alberto di Martino and Giuseppe Martinico for their wholehearted support. The usual disclaimer applies.

References

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19 See in particular Criminal proceedings against Hüseyin Gözütok and Klaus Brügge, C-187/01 and C-385/01, EU:C:2003:87, para 33.

20 See NS and ME, EU:C:2011:865, para 190. Mitsilegas, see note 1 above, p 327 ff.

21 Pál Aranyosi and Robert Căldăraru v Generalstaatsanwaltschaft Bremen, C-404/15 and C-659/15 PPU, EU:C:2016:198.

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24 Art 52(7) CFREU.

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27 Eg Germany, Italy, Sweden, Croatia, Poland.

28 Eg Belgium, France, The Netherlands and the UK.

29 Weyembergh, A et al ‘European Added Value Assessment: The EU Arrest Warrant. Annex 1. Critical Assessment of the Existing European Arrest Warrant Framework Decision’, (EU, 2014) Research Paper, doi: 10.2861/44748, p 35 Google Scholar.

30 Council Directive (EU) No 2014/41 [2014] OJ L130/1.

31 Amuur v France (Application no. 19776/92) (1996) 22 EHRR 533, paras 50–54.

32 A di Martino, ‘La Disciplina Dei CIE è Incostituzionale’ (Diritto Penale Contemporaneo, 11 May 2012).

33 However, other instruments of this kind can also be find outside the judicial cooperation within the EU; eg the Nordic Arrest Warrant: Mathisen, G, ‘Nordic Cooperation and the European Arrest Warrant: Intra-Nordic Extradition, the Nordic Arrest Warrant and Beyond’ (2010) 79 (1) Nordic Journal of International Law 1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

34 Art 66 of the 1990 Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement refers to the possibility for Member States to extradite their nationals without extradition formalities (as long as the surrendered has agreed before a court and s/he has been informed of his/her right to the extradition procedure). Also the 1996 EU Convention on Extradition between Member States was aimed at limiting the possibility of application of the nationality ban.

35 Concerning the factors leading to the prioritisation of the EAW, scholars also mention the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which distinguishes the state-to-state extradition from the surrender to the ICC, with the latter excluding the possibility of a nationality exception.

36 However, this view has been strongly criticised. See in this respect Impalà, F, ‘The European Arrest Warrant in the Italian Legal System. Between Mutual Recognition and Mutual Fear within the European Area of Freedom, Security and Justice’ (2005) 1 (2) Utrecht Law Review 56 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

37 For a comparison of the English and French systems, see Spencer, JR, ‘Implementing the European Arrest Warrant: A Tale of How Not to Do It’ (2009) 30 (3) Statute Law Review 184 CrossRefGoogle Scholar. For a specific analysis of the Italian case, see Marin, L, ‘The European Arrest Warrant in the Italian Republic’ (2008) 4 (2) European Constitutional Law Review 251 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

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39 Council Framework Decision (JHA) No 584/2002 [2002] OJ L 190/1, Art 1(3) and (2).

40 Ibid, Arts 17, 23 and 24.

41 Ibid, Art 12.

42 Ibid, Art 26.

43 Ibid, Art 18.

44 Ibid, Art 3.

45 This provision has given rise to a number of highly discussed preliminary rulings, on the part of the Court. See Proceedings concerning the execution of a European arrest warrant issued against Szymon Kozłowski, C-66/08, EU:C:2008:437; Dominic Wolzenburg, C-123/08, EU:C:2009:616; Proceedings concerning the execution of a European arrest warrant issued against João Pedro Lopes Da Silva Jorge, C-42/11, EU:C:2012:517. For comment, see Herlin-Karnell, E, ‘European Arrest Warrant Cases and the Principles of Non-Discrimination and EU Citizenship’ (2010) 73 (5) The Modern Law Review 824 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Mitsilegas, see note 1 above, p 338 ff; Marguery, TP, ‘EU Citizenship and European Arrest Warrant: The Same Rights for All?’ (2011) 27 (73) Merkourios 84 Google Scholar; Janssen, see note 6 above, p 207 ff.

46 See, eg Gaetano Mantello, C-261/09, EU:C:2010:683; Melvin West, EU:C:2012:404; Jeremy F v Premier ministre, EU:C:2013:358.

47 Proceedings relating to the execution of European arrest warrants issued against Ciprian Vasile Radu, C-396/11, EU:C:2013:39.

48 Radu, AG’s Opinion, EU:C:2012:648, para 83. The AG proposed this test instead of that of the ECtHR, according to which execution may be opposed in the case of ‘flagrant denial’ of fair trial in the requested country, or where a potential breach is established ‘beyond reasonable doubt’.

49 Radu, EU:C:2013:39, para 43.

50 Minister for Justice and Equality v Francis Lanigan, C-237/15 PPU, EU:C:2015:474.

51 Ibid, para 50.

52 Ibid, para 53 ff.

53 Aranyosi and Căldăraru, EU:C:2016:198.

54 Melloni, EU:C:2013:107.

55 Aranyosi and Căldăraru, EU:C:2016:198, para 101.

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57 Weyembergh et al, see note 29 above.

58 Ibid, p 50 ff.

59 Aranyosi and Căldăraru, AG’s Opinion, EU:C:2016:140, paras 30–34.

60 However, ECtHR case law has significantly improved over the years, and has lowered the threshold required especially with regard to the burden of proof. See on this Moreno-Lax, V, ‘Dismantling the Dublin System: M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece’ (2012) 14 (1) European Journal of Migration and Law 1 CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Mallia, P, ‘Case of M.S.S. v. Belgium and Greece: A Catalyst in the Re-thinking of the Dublin II Regulation’ (2011) 30 (3) Refugee Survey Quarterly 107 CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

61 Chahal v The United Kingdom (Application no. 22414/93) (1996), 23 EHRR 413, para 74.

62 The FD on the Transfer of Prisoners has been also subject to a reference for a preliminary ruling. See, Criminal proceedings against Atanas Ognyanov, C-554/14 [2015] OJ C73/11.

63 Council Framework Decision (JHA) No 909/2008 [2008] OJ L327/27, Rec 5, Art 4.

64 Ibid, Art 3.

65 Ibid, Art 6.

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67 Council Framework Decision (JHA) No 947/2008 [2008] OJ L337/102, Rec 8.

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69 See note 67 above, Arts 13–16.

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71 Council Framework Decision (JHA) No 829/2009 [2009] OJ L294/20, Rec 3.

72 Ibid, Art 16.

73 Ibid, Art 18.

74 For critical considerations on this aspect, see Mitsilegas, V, ‘The Third Wave of Third Pillar’ (2009) 34 (4) European Law Review 523 Google Scholar, p 541 ff.

75 Council Directive (EU) No 2010/64 [2010] OJ L280/1. Vogler, R, ‘Lost in Translation: Language Rights for Defendants in European Criminal Proceedings’ in S Ruggeri (ed), Human Rights in European Criminal Law (Springer, 2014)Google Scholar.

76 Council Directive (EU) No 2012/13 [2012] OJ L142/1. S Quattrocolo, ‘The Right to Information in EU Legislation’ in Ruggeri (ed), ibid.

77 Council Directive (EU) No 2013/48 [2013] OJ L294/1. See L Bachmaier Winter, ‘The EU Directive on the Right to Access to a Lawyer: A Critical Assessment’, in Ruggeri (ed), ibid.

78 See Spronken, T et al, EU Procedural Rights in Criminal Proceedings (Maklu, 2009)Google Scholar; Guild, E and Marin, L (eds), Still Not Resolved? Constitutional Issues of the European Arrest Warrant (Wolf Legal Publishers, 2009)Google ScholarPubMed.

79 See note 67 above, Art 12 (2) and note 71 above, Art 12 (3).

80 However, the FD on Probation Measures states that a new time limit should be established by the authority of the executing state (see note 67 above, Art 12 (2)).

81 On the state of play of implementation of these FDs at national level, see the Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation by the Member States of the Framework Decisions 2008/909/JHA, 2008/947/JHA and 2009/829/JHA on the mutual recognition of judicial decisions on custodial sentences or measures involving deprivation of liberty, on probation decisions and alternative sanctions and on supervision measures as an alternative to provisional detention, Brussels, 5.2.2014 COM(2014) 57 final.