People are free in a state where the consequences of their actions are predictable and where clean and transparent rules apply not only to them, but also to state authorities. In a state where the people know what the state expects from them, but they also know what they can expect from the state.
The Hungarian government first acquired excessive emergency powers with a view to the pandemic in the spring of 2020: it declared a “state of danger” (veszélyhelyzet), a special legal order regime, while the governing majority … Read more
On 18 January, the Hungarian government published and submitted for public consultation a draft law on the judiciary. The amendments are essential to fulfil the so-called super milestones set by the EU, linked to the … Read more
The CharterWise project by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union aims at bringing the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights from the attention periphery of the legal profession to the centre of … Read more
The legal changes proposed by the Hungarian government about the country’s judicial system do not meet the requirements set out in the respective super milestones by EU institutions in relation to Hungary’s Recovery and Resilience … Read more
Safeguards against abuses when it comes to the restriction of the freedom of expression of Hungarian judges are still missing. This is also evidenced by new, intense smear campaigns launched in 2022 against critical judges, with government politicians joining the propaganda media. In their submission to the Council of Europe, Amnesty International Hungary and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee argue that this goes against the judgment delivered by the European Court of Human Rights over six years ago in the Baka v. Hungary case.
For the fourth year in a row, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee is contributing to the European Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report in coordination with other Hungarian human rights and anti-corruption CSOs. This year, Amnesty … Read more
Rule of law backsliding affects all policy areas and all areas of life, including the performance of law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system. With a view to the stakeholder consultation regarding the European … Read more
The Hertie School and the Hungarian Helsinki Committee (HHC) have joined forces to launch a new project, Strategic Litigation for Rights in Europe: Building Knowledge, Skills and Connections for Legal Practitioners to Use the EU … Read more
Are you a lawyer, passionate about protecting fundamental rights across Europe, and eager to develop your skills and knowledge to unlock the power of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (the Charter)? If so, STARLIGHT is for you.
Reacting to the decision of the Council of the EU to suspend EU funds to Hungary for systemic rule of law breaches, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, K-Monitor and Transparency International Hungary call on the Hungarian government to ensure full compliance with rule of law standards to enable the entire Hungarian society to benefit from EU funds.
Three recent high-profile corruption cases clearly show that an independent judiciary is essential to fight corruption and eliminate risks for the EU budget, and arbitrary and uncontrolled court management powers are not only a theoretical … Read more
Tuesday, 13 December 2022,15:00-17:00 (CET) – online on Zoom In November 2022, the European Commission launched a public consultation for the 2023 edition of the Rule of Law Report. The Report monitors positive and negative … Read more
Promises and half-hearted solutions have failed to convince the European Commission, and so Hungary has still no access to vital EU funds. According to the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, K-Monitor and Transparency International (TI) Hungary, the … Read more
The Hungarian judiciary has been waiting in vain for nine months for their leaders to clarify their role in one of the most serious corruption scandals of recent years, the Schadl–Völner case, involving György Schadl, … Read more
In an attempt to capture the Hungarian judiciary, in the past years several judges have been granted appointments and/or leadership positions through either formal breaches of the relevant laws, or using legal loopholes. In our … Read more
On November 23, the Curia (also known as the Supreme Court of Hungary) found that an article published by the Hungarian media giant Mediaworks does not violate Labrisz Lesbian Association’s right to good reputation by … Read more
With the 19 November deadline given to the Hungarian government to enact the remedial measures it committed to in the framework of the conditionality mechanism nearing, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, K-Monitor and Transparency International Hungary … Read more
Public Members Briefing on the Erosion of Rule of Law and Democracy in Hungary, 15 November 2022 Márta Pardavi, HHC co-chair briefed members of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, … Read more
Corruption in Hungary has been in the forefront of the discussions about the country’s rule of law backsliding in the past months. However, rule of law concerns with regard to Hungary are much more diverse, … Read more
The Hungarian government terminated the state of danger as of 1 November 2022, and then re-declared as of the same day, referring to the war in Ukraine. This was necessary because the constitutional rules on the special legal order, including the state of danger, have changed as of 1 November. According to expert opinion, the amendment to the Fundamental Law and to related laws served one purpose: to provide the Government with exclusive and effectively unlimited power in any exceptional situation.