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European Court of Human Rights and the Right not to be Subjected to Slavery, Servitude, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking

Stoyanova, Vladislava LU (2019)
Abstract
Against the backdrop of the rich judicial output of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the case law under Article 4 (slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is scarce. To be more precise, the existing judgments in which the Court has dealt with abuses inflicted by non-state actors (i.e. employers) reaching the level of severity of Article 4 are eight. In this chapter, I will review these recent judgments and offer a comprehensive analysis of the challenges that need to be addressed in terms of definitional limits and the states’ positive obligations so that human rights law can more effectively respond to the factual reality that reveals that many individuals are... (More)
Against the backdrop of the rich judicial output of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the case law under Article 4 (slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is scarce. To be more precise, the existing judgments in which the Court has dealt with abuses inflicted by non-state actors (i.e. employers) reaching the level of severity of Article 4 are eight. In this chapter, I will review these recent judgments and offer a comprehensive analysis of the challenges that need to be addressed in terms of definitional limits and the states’ positive obligations so that human rights law can more effectively respond to the factual reality that reveals that many individuals are subjected to severe forms of exploitation. As to the definitional challenges, one problematic development that I will highlight is the central focus on the concept of human trafficking that has been the dominant frame for conceptualizing abuses. While this development has had some positive effects, it has also led to some negative repercussions that need to be acknowledged. In particular, the concept of human trafficking has brought confusion and obscurity as to the nature and gravity of the harm suffered. As to the positive obligations corresponding to the right not to be subjected to slavery, servitude and forced labour, the ECtHR has made some impressive advances that are I will detail and analyze. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Human rights, Public international law, Mänskliga rättigheter, Folkrätt
host publication
The Palgrave International Handbook of Human Trafficking
editor
Winterdyk, J and Jackie, J
publisher
Palgrave Macmillan
external identifiers
  • scopus:85089169126
ISBN
9783319630588
9783319630595
DOI
10.1007/978-3-319-63058-8_94
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dde05f0e-51b2-42e0-b629-95b60753c202
date added to LUP
2020-04-02 13:44:19
date last changed
2024-01-16 22:39:33
@inbook{dde05f0e-51b2-42e0-b629-95b60753c202,
  abstract     = {{Against the backdrop of the rich judicial output of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the case law under Article 4 (slavery, servitude, forced labour and human trafficking) of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is scarce. To be more precise, the existing judgments in which the Court has dealt with abuses inflicted by non-state actors (i.e. employers) reaching the level of severity of Article 4 are eight. In this chapter, I will review these recent judgments and offer a comprehensive analysis of the challenges that need to be addressed in terms of definitional limits and the states’ positive obligations so that human rights law can more effectively respond to the factual reality that reveals that many individuals are subjected to severe forms of exploitation. As to the definitional challenges, one problematic development that I will highlight is the central focus on the concept of human trafficking that has been the dominant frame for conceptualizing abuses. While this development has had some positive effects, it has also led to some negative repercussions that need to be acknowledged. In particular, the concept of human trafficking has brought confusion and obscurity as to the nature and gravity of the harm suffered. As to the positive obligations corresponding to the right not to be subjected to slavery, servitude and forced labour, the ECtHR has made some impressive advances that are I will detail and analyze.}},
  author       = {{Stoyanova, Vladislava}},
  booktitle    = {{The Palgrave International Handbook of Human Trafficking}},
  editor       = {{Winterdyk, J and Jackie, J}},
  isbn         = {{9783319630588}},
  keywords     = {{Human rights; Public international law; Mänskliga rättigheter; Folkrätt}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Palgrave Macmillan}},
  title        = {{European Court of Human Rights and the Right not to be Subjected to Slavery, Servitude, Forced Labour and Human Trafficking}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63058-8_94}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/978-3-319-63058-8_94}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}