Reassessing the Framework for the Protection of Civil Servant Whistleblowers in the European Court of Human Rights

Öz

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR or Court) has included civil servant whistleblowers in the protective ambit of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The article argues that the Court should revisit its approach to proportionality in such cases. When determining whether a restriction to a civil servant whistleblower’s free speech was necessary in a democratic society, the Court weighs what the article identifies as the quasi-public watchdog function of whistleblowers (namely their role in imparting information on matters of public concern) against their duties and responsibilities as civil servants. In some instances, the Court gives primacy to whistleblowers’ duties of loyalty to the government over their contribution to the accountability of public bodies. The article challenges this approach on the basis that it fails to adequately consider the key justification that underpins the Court’s recognition of whistleblowing as speech, namely the audience interest in receiving the information the whistleblower discloses. The article argues that the Court should give primacy to the watchdog function of whistleblowers. It concludes by making suggestions on how the ECtHR can adopt a more principled approach to proportionality in whistleblowing cases.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Freedom of expression
• Article 10 ECHR
• whistleblowers
• public interest disclosures
• proportionality

Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesinde Kamu Görevlisi Bilgi Uçuranların Korunmasına İlişkin Çerçevenin Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi (AİHM veya Mahkeme), kamu görevlisi bilgi uçuranları Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi’nin 10. maddesinin koruma alanına dâhil etmiştir. Makale, Mahkemenin bu tür davalardaki ölçülülük yaklaşımını yeniden gözden geçirmesi gerektiğini savunmaktadır. Bir kamu görevlisi bilgi uçuranın ifade özgürlüğünün kısıtlanmasının demokratik bir toplumda gerekli olup olmadığını belirlerken Mahkeme, bilgi uçuranların kamu görevlisi olarak sahip oldukları yükümlülük ve sorumluluklarına karşı onların makalenin yarı kamusal gözlemci olarak tanımladığı işlevini (başka bir ifadeyle kamuyu ilgilendiren konularda bilgi vermedeki rollerini) tartmaktadır. Bazı durumlarda Mahkeme, bilgi uçuranların kamu kurumlarının hesap verebilirliğine yaptığı katkıdan ziyade onların hükûmete olan sadakat yükümlülüğüne öncelik vermektedir. Makale, Mahkemenin bilgi uçurmayı bir ifade olarak tanımasının temelini oluşturan esaslı sebebi başka bir ifadeyle bilgi uçuranın açığa vurduğu bilginin edinilmesindeki kitlenin menfaatini yeterince dikkate almadığı için bu yaklaşıma itiraz etmektedir. Makale, Mahkemenin bilgi uçuranların gözlemci işlevine öncelik vermesi gerektiğini savunmaktadır. Makale, AİHM’in bilgi uçurma davalarında ölçülülüğe ilişkin daha ilkeli bir yaklaşımı nasıl benimseyebileceğine dair önerilerde bulunarak sona ermektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• ifade özgürlüğü
• AİHS m. 10
• bilgi uçuranlar
• kamu yararına açığa vurma
• ölçülülük

Teşekkür

Son derece güncel ve faydalı bu eseri Türkçeye çevirme fırsatını bana verdiği için Dr. Dimitrios Kagiaros’a teşekkür ederim.

Kaynakça

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