Information Note on the Court’s case-law No.
September 1997
R.M.D. v. Switzerland - 19800/92
Judgment 26.9.1997
Article 5
Article 5-4
Review by a court
Review of lawfulness of detention
Person detained in various cantons pending trial unable to have the lawfulness of his detention reviewed by a court: violation
[This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.]
I.ARTICLE 5 § 4 OF THE CONVENTION
A.Government’s preliminary objection (Non-exhaustion of domestic remedies)
Question closely linked to merits of complaint.
Conclusion: joined to the merits (unanimously).
B.Merits of the complaint
Applicant unable to obtain a decision on lawfulness of his detention from Federal Court – could not be criticised for failing to take all possible steps he had not already taken – in a position of great legal uncertainty as he had had to expect to be transferred from one canton to another at any moment, in which eventuality courts of the transferring canton no longer had jurisdiction to decide lawfulness of his detention.
While remedies had existed in each canton, they had been ineffective in applicant’s situation. Where a detained person was continually transferred from one canton to another, it was for State to organise its judicial system in such a way as to enable its courts to comply with requirements of Article 5 § 4.
Conclusion: preliminary objection dismissed, violation of Article 5 § 4 (unanimously).
II.ARTICLE 50 OF THE CONVENTION
A.Non-pecuniary damage: indisputable – award of compensation assessed on an equitable basis.
B.Costs and expenses incurred before the Convention institutions: reimbursement of an amount assessed on an equitable basis.
Conclusion: respondent State to pay applicant specified sums (unanimously).
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This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court.
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