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NataliaPIKHALO,

Judge , the May Day District Court of Chernivtsi, coach, the National School of Judges of Ukraine

THE RIGHT TO RESPECT FOR «FAMILY LIFE» FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 8 OF CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS

The author of the article analyses the approaches of The European Court of Human Rights to construction of the «family life» concept secured by Article 8 of the Convention on the Protection of the Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and its applicability.

To clarify the essence of the notion of «family life» the attention is called to the European Court’s «evolutionary» approach to construction of the right for respect for «family life» secured by Article 8 of the Convention on the Protection of the Human rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This approach differs from the legal «family» definition on the basis of the national statutes of Ukraine.

«Independence» of the «family life» notion construction by the European Court of the Human Rights is primarily predetermined by the necessity to ensure the decisional character and understanding of the case of the European Court by all the Member Countries of the Convention. Giving its own construction of the notion, first of all the Court proceeds on the basis of the rights guaranteed by the Convention, pointing out that it should be constructed not in «theoretical and delusive» but in «action-oriented and defective» manner. The rights should be constructed more broadly than their construction on the basis of the national statutes of the Member Country of the Convention. The European Court’s judgements reveal the correct comprehension of the Convention regulations, which represent basic principles of essence of the noted international legal act regulations and the content and ambit of the guaranteed rights.

Through the example of the judgements of the European Court of the Human Rights the author reveals approaches of the Court to estimation of the circumscription of the right for respect for the «family life» legality by the Member Countries of the Convention. According to the European Court’s practice an interference with the right to respect for the «family life» entails the violation of Article 8 unless it is applied «in accordance with the law», has an aim or aims that is or are legitimate under Article 8 § 2 and is «necessary in democratic society» for the aforesaid aim or aims. The notion of necessity implies that the interference corresponds to a pressing social need and, in particular, is proportionate to the pursued legitimate aim.

As a conclusion the author proves the implementation of the European standards of the justice system, appliance of the European Court’s judgements in the law enforcement practice by the National Courts and the judge-made principles of the Court used as the source of law ensures the improvement of the arrangement of the defense of human rights and free will, leads to the promotion of independence, influence and the role of the court as the authority approved to protect human rights and implement the rule of law.

Key words: European Court of the Human Rights, right to respect for the family life, positive and negative obligations of a state, «in accordance with the law», «legitimate aim», «necessity in a democratic society».

References

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