Source: http://relevancy.bger.ch/php/clir/http/index.php?highlight_docid=cedh%3A%2F%2F20000530_31982_96%3Afr&lang=fr&type=show_document
Timestamp: 2018-05-25 16:37:15
Document Index: 565691792

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 4', 'art. 4', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 51', '§ 1', '§ 32', '§ 3', '§ 53', '§ 26']

R.T. René gegen Schweiz
SUISSE: Art. 4 Prot. n° 7 CEDH. Ne bis in idem. Retrait du permis de conduire par le bureau de la circulation routière cantonal et condamnation à une peine d'emprisonnement avec sursis ainsi qu'à une amende pour conduite en état d'ivresse.
Les mesures prévues par la loi ont été ordonnées en même temps par deux autorités différentes, soit une autorité pénale et une autorité administrative. Il n'y a donc eu aucune violation de l'art. 4 Prot. n° 7 CEDH au titre de la répétition d'une procédure pénale.
The applicant, a Swiss citizen born in 1954, is a construction engineer residing in Amriswil in Switzerland. Before the Court he is represented by Mr Dähler, a lawyer practising in St. Gallen.
The applicant filed an administrative law appeal(Verwaltungsgerichtsbeschwerde) with the Federal Court (Bundesgericht) in which he complained that he had not had a public hearing as required by Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, and that the measure imposed on him was excessive. In its judgment of 11 January 1995 the Court considered, with reference to Swiss doctrine and practice, that Article 6 § 1 of the Convention was applicable to the case concerning the withdrawal of a driving licence. Thus, even if the matter had already been decided by the criminal judge, the authorities withdrawing the driving licence were "determining a criminal charge" within the meaning of this provision. According to Article 6 § 1, the applicant should have had an oral hearing which he did not have. As a result, the Court quashed the decision of the lower court.
Proceedings were resumed before the Administrative Appeals Commission. By letter of 19 May 1995 the President of the Commission informed the applicant of the public hearing(öffentliche Verhandlung) fixed for 31 May 1995 in which the applicant would be questioned and the lawyer would have the opportunity to comment on the evidence. A representative of the Road Traffic Office would also have the possibility to speak.
"In reply to your letter of 22 May 1995 I can inform you that on 31 May 1995 there shall not be a 'trial' (' Hauptverhandlung') but a public hearing (öffentliche Anhörung) of the appellant, based on Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.
The judgment continued that the topic of the appeal was limited in that the administrative authority was bound both factually and legally by the result of the criminal proceedings. As a result, the main topic in the applicant's case was the length of the withdrawal of the driving licence. With reference to Article 6 § 1 of the Convention the Administrative Appeals Commission found that the withdrawal of a driving licence resembled in many respects a criminal sanction, but it remained an administrative measure in respect of which written proceedings were in principle called for.
The appeal was dismissed by the Federal Court on 5 December 1995. Insofar as the applicant complained that he had not had an oral hearing as required by Article 6 § 1 of the Convention, the Court noted that the applicant was heard orally and publicly before the Administrative Appeals Commission, and the applicant's lawyer was able to comment in court on ne bis in idem. To the extent that the lawyer complained that he had been interrupted when speaking on this matter, he had not claimed that he had been unable to comment on the points relevant for the judgment.
In respect of the applicant's complaint of a breach of ne bis in idem, the Court found that the criminal judge and the administrative authority had different jurisdictions, and this was not called in question by the criminal nature of the withdrawal of the driving licence within the meaning of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention.
1. The applicant complains that the proceedings before the Administrative Appeals Commission did not comply with Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. The oral hearing required by this provision must concern all aspects relevant for the judgment, including legal issues. In the present case the court only heard the applicant, but did not let his lawyer comment comprehensively on all relevant factual and legal issues of the withdrawal of his driving licence, in particular on ne bis in idem. The subsequent explanation in written proceedings before a higher instance cannot heal this breach.
1. The applicant complains under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention that at the hearing the Administrative Appeals Commission did not let his lawyer comment comprehensively on all relevant factual and legal issues concerning the withdrawal of his driving licence. Under Article 4 of Protocol No. 7 he complains of a breach of ne bis in idem.
The Court notes that the proceedings at issue concerned the withdrawal of a driving licence after driving under the influence of alcohol, and that the Swiss authorities considered in the light of Swiss doctrine and practice that both Article 6 § 1 of the Convention and Article 4 of Protocol No. 7 were applicable to these proceedings. The Court need not resolve this issue since the complaint is in any event inadmissible for the following reasons.
2. The Court has first examined the applicant's complaint under Article 6 § 1 of the Convention. This provision states, insofar as relevant:
According to the Court's case-law, "the 'right to a court' ... and the right to a judicial determination of the dispute ... cover questions of fact just as much as questions of law" (see the Le Compte, van Leuven and de Meyere v. Belgium judgment of 23 June 1981, Series A no. 43, p. 23, § 51). In respect of the Austrian Administrative Court, the Court has held that "the European Court should confine itself as far as possible to examining the question raised by the case before it. Accordingly, it should only decide whether, in the circumstances of the case, the scope of the Administrative Court satisfied the requirements of Article 6 § 1 of the Convention" (see the Zumtobel v. Austria judgment of 21 September 1993, Series A no. 268, p. 14, § 32).
This part of the application is, therefore, manifestly ill-founded within the meaning of Article 35 § 3 of the Convention.
According to the Court's case-law, the aim of Article 4 of Protocol No. 7 is to prohibit the repetition of criminal proceedings which have been concluded by a final decision (see the Gradinger v. Austria judgment of 23 October 1995, Series A no. 328-C, p. 65, § 53; the Oliveira v. Switzerland judgment of 30 July 1998, Reports of Judgments and Decisions 1998-V, p. 1998, § 26 et seq.).
András Baka President