THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO JUDICIAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL MATTERS WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THE PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

Abstract

The Court of Justice of the European Union “CJEU” is one of the main actors contributing to the development of the “Area of Freedom, Security and Justice” “AFSJ” in general and “Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters” “JCCM” in particular. This contribution should be expected to increase in the coming years, because the CJEU has full jurisdiction over JCCM, since the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon “ToL” , albeit subject to some transitional provisions. Like all matters falling within the sphere of AFSJ, the matters dealt within JCCM raise frequently fundamental rights concerns, such as the right to a fair trial and legality of criminal law. The CJEU has recognized and protected these fundamental rights as general principles of European Union “EU” law. Besides, since the entry into force of the ToL, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU has the same legal value as the Founding Treaties and the EU attempts to accede to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Against this background it is to be expected that the CJEU will contribute to the JCCM mainly on the grounds of protection of fundamental rights. This article aims to reveal the contributions of the CJEU to the development of JCCM with a specific focus on the protection of fundamental rights, by way of an analysis of the system

Keywords

• Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters
• Union Acts
• Fundamental Rights
• Court of Justice of the European Union
• Treaty of Lisbon.

THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE COURT OF JUSTICE OF THE EUROPEAN UNION TO JUDICIAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL MATTERS WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THE PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS

Öz

Avrupa Birliği Adalet Divanı “ABAD” , genel olarak, “Özgürlük, Güvenlik ve Adalet Alanı”nın “ÖGAA” ve özel olarak “Cezai Konularda Adli İşbirliği”nin “CKAİ” gelişimine katkı veren aktörlerden birisidir. Bu katkı, gelecek yıllarda muhtemelen artacaktır; çünkü ABAD, Lizbon Antlaşması’nın yürürlüğe girmesi ile birlikte, kimi geçiş hükümlerine tâbi olmakla birlikte, CKAİ yönünden tam yetkiye kavuşmuştur. CKAİ içerisindeki konular, ÖGAA içerisindeki tüm diğer konular gibi, adil yargılanma hakkı ve ceza hukukundaki kanunilik gibi temel haklara yönelik endişelere sıklıkla yol açmaktadır. ABAD, temel hakları Avrupa Birliği “AB” hukukunun genel ilkeleri olarak tanıyıp, korumaktadır. Ayrıca, Lizbon Antlaşması’nın yürürlüğe girmesinden beri, AB Temel Haklar Şartı, kurucu antlaşmalar ile aynı hukuki değere sahiptir ve AB, Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi’ne katılmak için çaba harcamaktadır. Bu arka plan karşısında, ABAD’ın CKAİ yönünden esas olarak temel hakların korunması temelinde katkı sunması beklenmektedir. Bu makale, temel hakların korunması hususuna özel ilgi göstererek, ABAD’ın CKAİ’nin gelişimine yönelik katkılarını bir sistem analizi biçiminde ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Cezai Konularda Adli İşbirliği
• Birlik Tasarrufları
• Temel Haklar
• Avrupa Birliği Adalet Divanı
• Lizbon Antlaşması

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