Dismissal without justification violates the Convention

In 2010, the Hungarian Parliament adopted an Act allowing the dismissal of certain civil servants without justification. Related provisions left civil servants without effective domestic remedy, because in absence of justification, it is almost impossible to prove that the dismissal was ill-founded. Furthermore, courts could do nothing else than to apply the provisions in force, which made such dismissals without a justification lawful. As this violates the right to a fair trial, the HHC decided to assist civil servants to submit applications to the European Court of Human Rights. The ECtHR communicated one case (as a leading case) to the Hungarian government, and the HHC submitted its observations to the Government’s response in December 2011.

The ECtHR delivered its decision in the matter on 10 July 2012: the court established in the case of K.M.C. v. Hungary (Application no. 19554/11, Judgment of 10 July 2012) that there has been a violation of Article 6(1) of the Convention. The Hungarian Government requested that the case is referred to the Grand Chamber, but this request was denied and the decision became final on 19 November 2012.