Tokens: 6
.
This
is
not
the
right
approach
.
The
right
approach
,
to
our
mind
,
is
that
Article
7
of
the
Convention
and
the
principles
it
enshrines
require
that
in
a
rule
-
of
-
law
system
anyone
considering
carrying
out
a
particular
act
should
be
able
,
by
reference
to
the
legal
rules
defining
crimes
and
the
corresponding
penalties
,
to
determine
whether
or
not
the
act
in
question
constitutes
a
crime
and
what
penalty
he
or
she
faces
if
it
is
carried
out
.
Hence
no
one
can
speak
of
retrospective
application
of
substantive
law
,
when
a
person
is
convicted
,
even
belatedly
,
on
the
basis
of
rules
existing
at
the
time
of
the
commission
of
the
act
.
Considering
,
as
the
Court
leaves
one
to
believe
,
that
the
procedural
issue
of
the
statute
of
limitations
is
a
constituent
element
of
the
applicability
of
Article
7
,
linked
to
the
question
of
retrospective
application
and
sitting
alongside
,
with
equal
force
,
the
conditions
of
the
existence
of
a
crime
and
a
penalty
,
can
lead
to
unwanted
results
which
could
undermine
the
very
spirit
of
Article
7
.
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