22 February 1995

Doc. 7258

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS on the election of one member of the European Court of Human rights in respect of Belgium1

(Articles 38 to 40 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms)

Letter from the Secretary General to the President

of the Assembly, dated 24 January 1995

Sir,

      The term of office of the judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Belgium expired on 20 January 1995. It is therefore necessary to proceed to the election of a judge of the Court in respect of this country.

      Article 39, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms provides as follows: "The members of the Court shall be elected by the Assembly by a majority of the votes cast from a list of persons nominated by the Members of the Council of Europe; each Member shall nominate three candidates of whom two at least shall be its nationals."

      The list of candidates drawn up by the Committee of Ministers at the 526th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies (January 1995) on the basis of nominations made by the Government of Belgium is as follows:

1.       Mr Jan de Meyer

2.       Mr André Henkes

3.       Mr Frans de Pauw

      The biographical notes of the candidates are appended to this letter.

      It should be noted that "Members of the Court are elected for a period of nine years" (Article 40, paragraph 1, of the European Convention on Human Rights). The term of office of the judge to be elected will therefore expire on 20 January 2004. The Committee of Ministers kept in mind the relevant texts adopted by the Assembly (Resolution 655 and Recommendation 809) when examining the candidatures, but also took into account Article 5, paragraph 1, of Protocol No. 11 which states that "the terms of office of the judges ... shall expire at the date of entry into force of this Protocol".

      Please accept, Sir, the assurance of my high consideration.

Signed: Daniel Tarschys

APPENDIX

Jan de Meyer

Born in Mechelen on 21 February 1921.

Doctor of Laws (University of Louvain 1942), degree in political and administrative sciences (University of Louvain 1943), degree in historical sciences (University of Louvain 1946), post-doctoral qualification in law (University of Louvain 1949).

Barrister practising in Mechelen from 1944 to 1948 and from 1952 to 1986. Substitute judge in the field court martial with the Belgian forces in Germany from 1953 to 1955.

University of Louvain posts:

Lecturer in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences from 1951 to 1952, lecturer in the Faculty of Law from 1952 to 1956, professor in the Faculty of Law from 1956 to 1986; has retained this professorship at the K.U.L. and has been a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Economic, Social and Political Sciences at the U.C.L.

President of the Political Studies Centre from 1960 to 1968, president of the Institute of Political and Social Sciences (Dutch-speaking section) from 1964 to 1967, senior member of the Faculty of Law at the K.U.L. from 1971 to 1974, president of the Academic Staff Council of the K.U.L. from 1981 to 1991. Emeritus since 1986.

Other academic posts:

Lecturer at the Lovanium University of Leopoldville from 1956 to 1957.

Lecturer at the College of Europe of Bruges, from 1958 to 1970.

Member of the teaching staff of the International Faculty of Comparative Law, Luxembourg, from 1961 to 1974.

Assistant lecturer at the Royal Military Academy from 1963 to 1966.

Career in the "Conseil d'Etat":

Deputy Legal Adviser from 1948 to 1949, member of the co-ordination office from 1949 to 1952, assessor from 1962 to 1980.

Adviser to the Minister for Cultural Affairs from 1958 to 1959, adviser to the Prime Minister from 1959 to 1960, adviser to the Ministers for the Civil Service from 1960 to 1961, adviser to the Minister for the Interior and the Civil Service from 1961 to 1965, adviser to the Minister for Justice from 1965 to 1968.

Belgian member of the Council of Europe Committee of Experts on Human Rights from 1967 to 1973, Belgian Government agent at the European Commission of Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights from 1967 to 1972.

Member of the Belgian Senate from 1980 to 1981.

Judge at the European Court of Human Rights since 1986.

André Henkes

Nationality:       Belgian

Place and date of birth: Sankt-Vith, 7 May 1954

Civil status: married, two children

I.       Diplomas:

      —La       w degree (Free University of Brussels — 27 July 1978)—

      —Sp       ecial degree in international law (Free University of Brussels — 30 June 1979)—

      —Sp       ecial degree in maritime and airspace law (Free University of Brussels — 28 September 1979)—

      —CA       -BEMS (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom — 31 July 1981)II

II.       Knowledge of languages:

      German:

      —Pa       ssed examination stipulated under Article 43 quinquies of the Law of 15 June 1936 on the use of languages in judicial matters (24 March 1981);—

      —ce       rtificate awarded on passing examination in accordance with Article 53 of the Co-ordinated Laws of 18 July 1966 on the use of languages in administrative matters (3 February 1992).Du

      Dutch:

      —Le       gal language chosen for the compulsory language examination for the law degree, in accordance with the Royal Decree of 1 August 1969;—

      —la       nguage course chosen as an option for the law degree course (Free University of Brussels).En

      English:

      —Co       mpulsory language for the certificate awarded by the University of Cambridge.II

III.       Profession experience:

      —La       wyer practising in Brussels (2 October 1978-1 October 1979)—

      —Le       gal adviser to the Council of the German Cultural Community (1 September 1980-30 September 1981)—

      —La       wyer practising in Verviers (4 December 1981-3 March 1983)—

      —Le       gal adviser to the Private Office of Prime Minister Martens (1 November 1982-16 December 1983)—

      —Su       bstitute judge with the Verviers Labour Court (Royal Decree of 30 November 1983)—

      —Su       bstitute General Delegate to the Liège Labour Court (Ministerial Decree of 4 May 1984)—

      —Su       bstitute Delegate of the Labour Judge with the Huy Labour Court (9 January 1985-14 March 1985)—

      —Su       bstitute judge with the Verviers and Eupen Labour Courts (Royal Decree of 6 November 1987)—

      —Ge       neral Substitute with the Liège Labour Court (Royal Decree of 17 February 1989).IV

IV.       Military status:

      —Ap       pointed by Royal Decree of 16 December 1982 to the rank of second lieutenant with the reserve infantry;—

      —ap       pointed by Royal Decree of 23 December 1988 to the rank of lieutenant with the reserve infantry;—

      —de       legated by Ministerial Decree of 12 December 1989 to the office of 1st Substitute of the Reserve Military Prosecutor in Cologne;—

      —de       legated by Royal Decree of 13 May 1991 to the office of Substitute to the Reserve Chief Military Prosecutor.V.

V.       Secondary duties:

      —Ch       airman of the Commission for the official translation into German of laws, decrees and regulations (Royal Decree of 11 April 1986). Commission dissolved.In

      In this capacity, joint author of the official German version of the Belgian Constitution.

      —Me       mber of the panel responsible for conducting German language examinations for candidates for the office of judge with the social and commercial courts (Royal Decree of 9 March 1989).—

      —Pr       esident of the French Chamber of the National Administrative Commission (Royal Decree of 10 July 1989).—

      —Pr       esident of the German appeal chamber in Liège set up in virtue of the implementing law of 8 July 1976 (Executive Decree of the German-speaking Community of 15 January 1990). Administrative chamber dissolved.—

      —Pr       esident of the 4th Chamber of the Higher Appeal Commission relating to compensatory pensions for civilian casualties of the 1940-45 war and persons entitled through them (Ministerial Decree of 7 March 1990).—

      —Su       bstitute President of the Appeal Commission for the application of the status of persons enlisted by force into the German army and the status of resistance fighters combating nazism in the annexed regions (Ministerial Decree of 7 March 1990).—

      —Me       mber of the Committee on documents printed in German, set up under the Ministerial Decree of 25 March 1991 (Ministerial Decree of 25 March 1991).—

      —Su       bstitute member of the panel responsible for conducting German language examinations for persons holding law degrees and doctorates (Royal Decree of 29 March 1991).—

      —(S       ubstitute) member of the panel for the French language section of the law officer recruitment board (M.B. of 4 June 1992).VI

VI.       (Recent) scientific activities:

      —"L       a commission administrative nationale - Considérations à propos d'un organe administratif quasi juridictionnel" J.T.T. Nos. 516 et 517, 1992;—

      —"L       e directeur du bureau du chômage par désignation ou délégation et la légalité externe de la décision administrative sur le droit aux allocations de chômage", September 1993 (C.D.S. 1994, Nos. 2 and 3, pp. 49-65 and 87-105);—

      —"D       as belgische Sozialstrafrecht und die Anknöpfung eines grenzüberschreitenden Arbeitsverhältnisses om der Europäischen Union" October 1993, to be published (Österreischische Richterzeitung, 1994);—

      —"L       'accès des consommateurs à la justice et le règlement des litiges de consommation dans le marché unique", Opinion, European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs, Brussels 1994;—

      —"L       e droit pénal social belge et le rattachement de la relation internationale de travail", Proceedings of the Forum Ad Mosam Colloquy, Maastricht 1994;—

      —"L       a libre circulation des magistrats dans l'Union Européenne", Proceedings of the General Assembly of the European Association of Magistrates, Vienna 1994.VI

VII.       Socio-occupational activities:

      —El       ected member of the Council of the National Union of Appeal Court Judges;—

      —El       ected member of the Council of the National Judicial Service Commission;—

      —El       ected member of the Committee of the Belgian Section of the International Association of Judges.Fr

Frans de Pauw

I.       Diplomas

1.       Master of Arts in Letters and Philosophy, section of German and English; Free University of Brussels, Magna cum laude, October 1951.

2.       Doctor of Laws, Magna cum laude, Université Libre de Bruxelles, July 1956.

3.       Certificates in International Law and International Organisations, July 1954, Columbia University, New York, B+.

4.       Ph.D in international law, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 9 February 1961.

5.       Centre d'Etudes de l'Académie de Droit, La Haye, September 1962. (Scientific studies organised by the Study Centre of the Academy of International Law. Subject: "succession d'Etats".)

6.       Centre international de formation et de recyclage des enseignants des droits de l'homme. Institut René Cassin, Strasbourg, 12 August 1977. (Preparation for specialised teaching of international law and comparative human rights law.)

7.       International Law Association Conference — Certificate of attendance, 2 September 1978, Manila.

II.       Courses (at the "Vrije Universiteit Brussel")

1.       Natural Law

2.       International Public Law

3.       International Organisations

4.       Law of the Sea

5.       International Protection of Human Rights

III.       Publications

      Many books and articles in scientific magazines.

IV.       Functions

      —Pr       ofessor of Law;—

      —Di       rector of the Postgraduate Programme in International and European Law;—

      —Di       rector of the Research Centre of the Law of the United Nations and Specialised Organisations of the United Nations;—

      —Fo       rmer Dean of the Law School.V.

V.       Main areas of interest

      —La       w of sea problems;—

      —In       ternational protection of human rights.