Values and methods: comparative analysis of the approaches of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the European Court of Human Rights to the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly

This article discusses approaches of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the European Court of Human Rights to cases concerning the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly on the example of several significant situations reviewed by both judicial bodies. The article consists of two parts. Applying the comparative-law methodology, the first part describes approaches of the Constitutional Court and the European Court to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression cases, makes conclusions regarding particular features of the methodology of both bodies regarding the said category of cases. The author concludes that when comparing approaches of the European Court of Human Rights and the Russian Constitutional Court the necessary conditions for the correct analysis are consideration of particularities of the legal position of the judicial body, limits of constitutionality (conventionality) review, and the powers of interpretation of constitutional (conventional) provisions. With regard to conclusions from the first part, the second part of the article studies substantial differences between the approaches of the Russian Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights on concrete examples. The author reviews legal positions of both judicial bodies regarding freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, and concludes that both bodies are guided by the same values while considering controversial situations. Regarding the concrete examples, the author compares the methodological approaches of the Russian Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights and concludes that in the described situations each of the bodies acted within its competence and established rules of human rights norms interpretation; the difference in approaches of both judicial bodies, taking into account similar understanding of the protected values, was objectively motivated; and controversies emerged with respect to concrete circumstances and the role the latter play in adjudicating a case.

About the author: Dmitry Kuznetsov – LL.M., Leading Counsellor, Department of International Relations and Review of the Constitutional Control Practice, Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation; Teacher, Chair of Constitutional and Administrative Law, Higher School of Economics (Saint Petersburg campus), Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Citation: Kuznetsov D. (2019) Tsennosti i metody: sravnitel’no-pravovoy analiz podkhodov Konstitutsionnogo Suda RF i ESPCh k svobode samovyrazheniya i svobode sobraniy [Values and methods: comparative analysis of the approaches of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and the European Court of Human Rights to the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly]. Sravnitel'noe konstitutsion­noe obozrenie, vol.28, no.4, pp.16–34. (In Russian).

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