Defending Corporate (Human) Rights in Strasbourg. Insights from the European Court of Human Rights Case Law

Iva Tërova (Pendavinji) – Fan S. Noli University, Faculty of Ecomony, Bulevardi Rilindasit 27, 7001, Korça, Albania

Nadia Rusi – University of Tirana, Faculty of Law, Place” Mother Tereza”, Tirana, Albania

Abstract: The article encompasses the legal perspectives and challenges emerging when corporations defend their rights at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Researching the procedural aspects and jurispru­dential developments, it aims to conduct a legal analysis of the human rights entitlements of corporations, as legal entities, enshrined in the Eu­ropean Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

Issues concerning property rights, fair trial, and fundamental liberties pro­tected by the European Convention, are addressed. Furthermore, the re­search explores the extent to which rights traditionally attributed to nat­ural persons beyond business context, such as the right to privacy, free­dom of expression, and the entitlement to just satisfaction, apply to le­gal entities.

Attempting to shed light on the context of corporate rights and their in­tersection with well-established human rights standards, the article con­tributes to fueling the dialogue between business and human rights with­in the European legal framework.

8th International Scientific Conference – EMAN 2024 – Economics and Management: How to Cope With Disrupted Times, Rome, Italy, March 21, 2024, CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS, published by: Association of Economists and Managers of the Balkans, Belgrade, Serbia; ISBN 978-86-80194-83-7, ISSN 2683-4510, DOI: https://doi.org/10.31410/EMAN.2024

Creative Commons Non Commercial CC BY-NC: This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission. 

REFERENCES

Agrotexim and Others v. Greece. (1995, October 24). (Application no. 14807/89) § 65. HUDOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng#%7B%22itemid%22:[%22001-57951%22]%7D

Akdivar and Others v.Turkey. (1996, September 16). (Application no. 21893/93)§ 66. HUDOC. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-58062

Albert and Others v. Hungary. (2020, July 7). (Application no. 5294/14) §54. HUDOC – Euro­pean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-203850

Albert and Others v. Hungary. (2020, July 7). (Application no. 5294/14) §71. HUDOC – Euro­pean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-203850

Albert and Others v. Hungary. (2020, July 7). (Application no.5294/14) § 122. HUDOC. Re­trieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=002-12902

Autronic AG v Switzerland. (1990, May 22). (Application no. 12726/87)§ 47. HUDOC – Euro­pean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-57630

Axel Springer AG v. Germany. (2012, February 7). (Application no. 39954/08)§ 78. Wikipedia. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-109034

Comingersoll S.A. v. Portugal. (2000, April 6). (Application no. 35382/97)§35. HUDOC – Eu­ropean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-58562

Council of Europe. (1950, November 4). European Convention on Human Rights. ECHR. Re­trieved April 19, 2024, from https://www.echr.coe.int/documents/d/echr/convention_ENG

Eckle v. Germany. (1982, July 15). (Application no. 8130/78). HUDOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-57476

Emberland, M. (2003). The Corporate Veil in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights. Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht, (63), 945-969. https://www.zaoerv.de/63_2003/63_2003_4_a_945_970.pdf

Golder v. The United Kingdom. (1975, February 21). (Application no. 4451/70)§51. HUDOC. Re­trieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-57496

Gorraiz Lizarraga and Others v. Spain. (2004, April 27). (Application no. 62543/00)§ 35. HU­DOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-61731

Iatridis v. Greece. (1999, March 25). (Application no.31107/96) § 32. HUDOC – European Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-58227

Ku, J. G. (2012). The Limits of Corporate Rights Under International Law. 12 Chi. J. Int’l L., 2, 729-754. https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1198&context=faculty_scholarship

Marini v. Albania. (2007, December 18). (Application no. 3738/02)§ 165. HUDOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-84061

Marini v. Albania. (2007, December 18). (Application no. 3738/02)§ 173. HUDOC – Europe­an Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-84061

Niemietz v. Germany. (1992, December 16). (Application no. 13710/88)§ 30. HUDOC – Euro­pean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-57887

OOO Regnum v. Russia. (2020, September 8). (Application no. 22649/08)§ 66. HUDOC. Re­trieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-204319

OOO Regnum v. Russia. (2020, September 8). (Application no. 22649/08)§ 86. HUDOC – Eu­ropean Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-204319 

Pine Valley Developments LTD. and Others v. Ireland. (1989, May 3). (Application no. 12742/87) §42. HUDOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-1036 

Qufaj CO. SH.P.K v.Albania. (2004, November 18). (Application no.54268/00 ) §44. HUDOC – European Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-67514  

Regules, J. M. (2020, November 23). OOO Regnum v. Russia: Extending reputational rights to legal entities? https://strasbourgobservers.com. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://strasbourgobservers.com/2020/11/23/ooo-regnum-v-russia-extending-reputational-rights-to-legal-entities/  

Société Colas Est and Others v. France. (2002, April 16). (Application no. 37971/97)§ 48. HU­DOC – European Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-60431 

Tyrer v. The United Kingdom. (1978, April 25). (Application no. 5856/72). HUDOC. Retrieved April 19, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/fre?i=001-57587 

Wieser and Bicos Beteiligungen GmbH v. Austria. (2007, October 16). (Application no. 74336/01)§ 45. HUDOC – European Court of Human Rights. Retrieved April 20, 2024, from https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-82711