“LANETLENECEK BİR RUH, TEKMELENECEK BİR BEDEN”: ŞİRKETLERİN, “İNSAN” HAKLARI OLABİLİR Mİ?

Year 2017, YBHD 2017/2, 63 - 93, 31.07.2017

Engin Yıldırım

Abstract

Kar amaçlı tüzel kişi olan şirketler gerek uluslararası gerekse de ulusal düzeyde insan haklarının sağladığı güvencelerden gittikçe artan bir şekilde yararlanmaya çalışmaktadırlar. Şirketlerin, sözleşme özgürlüğü, adil yargılanma ve mülkiyet gibi haklardan yararlanırken, son yıllarda özel hayatın korunması ve din özgürlüğü gibi geleneksel olarak onlarla özdeşleşmeyen alanlarda da hak öznesi olma iddialarında bulunduklarını görmekteyiz. Bu çalışma, şirketlerin “insan” haklarının öznesi olup olmayacakları tartışmasından hareketle Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi, Amerikan Yüksek Mahkemesi ve Türk Anayasa Mahkemesinin şirketlerin hak ihlali iddiaları karşısındaki tutumlarını incelemektedir. Çalışmada, şirketlerin korunması gereken hakları olmakla beraber bunların insan hakları bağlamında genişletilmesinin insan haklarının korunması ve geliştirilmesine çok fazla katkı yapmayacağı sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.

Keywords

Şirketler, İnsan Hakları, Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi, Birleşik Devletler Yüksek Mahkemesi, Türk Anayasa Mahkemesi

A SPIRIT TO BE DAMNED, A BODY TO BE KICKED: CAN COMPANIES HAVE HUMAN RIGHTS?

Abstract

For-profit corporations have been increasingly making attempts to benefit from human rights protections both at the international and national levels. While they have been a beneficiary of freedom of contract, the right to fair trial and the right to property, they have claimed to be right holders of such human rights as the right to privacy and freedom of religion traditionally not associated with the corporation. This study first examines whether corporations may become human rights subject. Then, it moves on to analyse some important rulings of the European Court of Human Rights, the Supreme Court of the United States and the Constitutional Court of Turkey on claims of corporate “human” rights. We conclude that while corporations have some essential fundamental rights, extending human rights protection for corporations is unlikely to contribute to the protection and strengthening of human rights.

Keywords

Corporations, Human Rights, European Court of Human Rights, Supreme Court of the United States, Constitutional Court of Turkey

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