Albert And Le Compte v Belgium (Article 50): ECHR 24 Oct 1983

The applicants were Belgian nationals and medical practitioners. Dr Le Compte was suspended from practising medicine for two years for an offence against professional discipline. He appealed to the Appeals Council, alleging violations of Article 6. In his absence the Appeals Council rejected his case and substituted for the two year suspension a direction to strike his name from the Ordre des Medecins. He lodged an objection which was dismissed, and thereafter appealed on a point of law to the Court of Cassation. That too was dismissed.
Held: Article 6 does apply to professional disciplinary proceedings: ‘What is required is that ‘either the jurisdictional organs themselves comply with the requirements of Article 6(1), or they do not so comply but are subject to subsequent control by a judicial body that has full jurisdiction and does provide the guarantees of Article 6(1).’ The court observed that there are some cases which are not comprised within either civil or criminal categories and which thus fall outside the ambit of article 6.

Citations:

7299/75, 7496/76, [1983] 5 EHRR 533

Statutes:

European Convention on Human Rights 6

Citing:

See AlsoAlbert And Le Compte v Belgium ECHR 10-Feb-1983
Hudoc Violation of Art. 6-1; Just satisfaction reserved . .
See AlsoLe Compte, Van Leuven And De Meyere v Belgium ECHR 23-Jun-1981
Hudoc The Court was faced with a disciplinary sanction imposed on doctors which resulted in their suspension for periods between 6 weeks and 3 months: ‘Unlike certain other disciplinary sanctions that might have . .
See AlsoLe Compte, Van Leuven And De Meyere v Belgium ECHR 18-Oct-1982
Even where ‘jurisdictional organs of professional associations’ are set up: ‘Nonetheless, in such circumstances the Convention calls at least for one of the two following systems: either the jurisdictional organs themselves comply with the . .
See AlsoAlbert And Le Compte v Belgium ECHR 24-Oct-1983
ECHR Judgment (Just Satisfaction) – Non-pecuniary damage – finding of violation sufficient; Costs and expenses award – domestic proceedings; Costs and expenses award – Convention proceedings. . .

Cited by:

See alsoAlbert And Le Compte v Belgium ECHR 10-Feb-1983
Hudoc Violation of Art. 6-1; Just satisfaction reserved . .
CitedAaron v The Law Society (the Office of the Supervision of Solicitors) QBD 13-Oct-2003
The appellant challenged an order suspending him from practice as a solicitor for two years. He had previous findings of professional misconduct in failing to pay counsels’ fees. In the course of later disciplinary proceedings he was found to have . .
CitedWhitmey, Regina (on the Application of) v the Commons Commissioners CA 21-Jul-2004
The applicant sought to leave to appeal against refusal of his challenge to the registration of land as a green.
Held: The 1965 Act did not limit the registration of greens to those which were registered by 3 January 1970. The Commons . .
CitedClingham (formerly C (a minor)) v Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Regina v Crown Court at Manchester Ex parte McCann and Others HL 17-Oct-2002
The applicants had been made subject of anti-social behaviour orders. They challenged the basis upon which the orders had been made.
Held: The orders had no identifiable consequences which would make the process a criminal one. Civil standards . .
CitedHammond, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department HL 1-Dec-2005
The claimants had been convicted of murder, but their tariffs had not yet been set when the 2003 Act came into effect. They said that the procedure under which their sentence tarriffs were set were not compliant with their human rights in that the . .
CitedG, Regina (on The Application of) v X School and Others CA 20-Jan-2010
The claimant was a teaching assistant. A complaint had been made that he had kissed a boy having work experience at the school, but it had been decided that no criminal prosecution would follow. He sought judicial review of the school’s decision to . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Human Rights

Updated: 15 May 2022; Ref: scu.164930