Event on Damages for Human Rights Violations in Gdańsk

22.10.2015

Between 22–23 October 2015, an International Conference entitled 'Damages for Violations of Human Rights: Domestic, Comparative and International Perspectives', took place in Gdańsk. It was organised by ELI Fellow Ewa Bagińska (Professor of Law at the University of Gdańsk), in collaboration with the Nicholas Copernicus University of Toruń, and with the support of the ELI Polish Hub.

The Conference aimed at discussing compensation and reparation for human rights violations from the perspectives of civil, international and human rights law. The first session, devoted to 'Compensation for Violations of Human Rights in Domestic Legal Systems', focused on four national examples. The Irish, Greek, Norwegian and Polish legal systems were presented by experts from the respective countries. The second session focused on 'The Concept of Damage in Domestic and International Law'. Elena Bargelli, Associate Professor of Private Law at the University of Pisa and an ELI Council Member, explained the concepts of damage and monetary remedies in Italian civil and constitutional law. Representatives of the University of Toruń analysed the concept from the Polish and international law perspectives. Renata Degener from the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) Registry presented recent developments concerning the concept of damage and just satisfaction in the case law of the Court. The last session of the Conference concerned the 'Forms of Reparations for Violations of Human Rights – From the Perspective of Public International Law'.

Panellists analysed the ECtHR approach to individual redress, the general regime of reparations under international law, and the responsibility of the EU for dealing with violations of fundamental rights.

The event was an opportunity for members of the ELI Polish Hub and other participants to discuss various issues concerning damages for violations of human rights.