Challenges of the Judiciary in Achieving and Protecting the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly – International, Constitutional and Criminal Aspects
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5937/crimen2503347PKeywords:
freedom of peaceful assembly, unannounced assemblies, spontaneous assemblies, restrictions on freedom of assembly, protestsAbstract
The paper first aims to provide a modern theoretical definition of the freedom of peaceful assembly. Then the relevant international standards were analyzed, especially those from the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the Venice Commission, which normatively model the freedom of assembly. The domestic legislation, and partly the practice of the Constitutional Court in connection with the protection of this political right, were also analyzed. It was pointed out how in practice the right to freedom of peaceful assembly turns into the right to violent assembly and how protests or demonstrations are often carried out without an adequate legal response from competent authorities, including judicial authorities – prosecutor’s offices and courts. All these issues are placed in the broader framework of international legal standards and principles of the rule of law.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Vladan Petrov
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