Call for Papers on ECHR and Economic Crisis

The economic crisis has tested much more than the financial balances of
banks, governments and individuals either in their capacity as savers,
share-holders, pensioners, employers or employees. It brought about a series of
social and political changes posing a real test for human rights, solidarity and
democracy. It has exposed the most vulnerable to additional hardship and has
given ample opportunity for various forms of extremism to flourish often
resulting in the victimization of scapegoats. It undermines not only the
guarantees of economic, social and cultural rights, but also those of civil and
political rights. As history has taught us, noted Francoise Tulkens in her
speech marking the opening of the current judicial year for the European Court
of Human Rights, these trends pose a real threat to the twin pillars on which
the Convention is based: democracy and the rule of law.

The impact of the crisis on obligations arising from the European Convention
of Human Rights (‘ECHR’) and the European Social Charter is multi-faceted and
extends to much more than the effects of the austerity measures experienced in a
number of Council of Europe (‘CoE’) Member States such as unprecedented cuts on
salaries and pensions and the decreasing availability of social benefits. Member
States -particularly those most struck by the crisis like Greece, Cyprus, and
Italy- face serious challenges in complying with the ECHR and European Social
Charter, for instance in ensuring that no one depending on a social assistance
scheme is left in conditions of extreme poverty; providing where required
adequate housing and ensuring that any evictions,including of home owners
defaulting on their mortgages, remain lawful; respecting the rights of migrants
and asylum-seekers in an increasingly hostile environment as a result of the
rise of political extremism; ensuring that any dismissals remain fair and that
all necessary procedural safeguards remain effective; guaranteeing an effective
right of access to justice in the face of new challenges varying from cuts on
legal aid budgets and extending to jurisdictional issues arising in claims
against the implementation of agreements with the “Troika”. The crisis has also
intensified tensions arising from decision-making in what is nowadays often
perceived as the Ivory Tower of Brussels and amplified a certain lack of
understanding experienced by northern Europeans towards southern Europeans and
vice versa. In this climate, it seems that support for European integration can
no longer be taken for granted. In this context, the Editorial board of the
Cyprus Human Right Law Review decided to resort to the framework of European
Human Rights Law for assistance and devote the Review’s forthcoming issue to the
economic crisis.

The present Call for Papers seeks to

(a) Solicit expert opinions on the impact of the economic crisis on the human
rights obligations of CoE Member States, particularly addressing the issues
highlighted above;
(b) Explore specific applications of the European human
rights law framework in litigation arising as a result of the economic
crisis;
(c) Explore means of managing the increase of political extremism
challenging respect to human rights.

Interested authors are invited to submit an abstract of their proposed paper
by 11 October 2013 to [email protected]. The abstracts
should be no more than three pages long and be in English. Earlier submissions
are welcome. The abstracts will be reviewed by members of the Cyprus Human
Rights Law Review’s Editorial and Scientific board and a number of authors will
be invited to submit their final papers of no more than 15,000 words by
30 November 2013. Please note that already published papers
will not be eligible for consideration.