Varbanov v Bulgaria: ECHR 5 Oct 2000

Hudoc Judgment (Merits and just satisfaction) Preliminary objection rejected (abuse of right of petition); Violation of Art. 5-1; Violation of Art. 5-4; Pecuniary damage – claim rejected; Non-pecuniary damage – financial award; Costs and expenses partial award – Convention proceedings
An authority responsible for the deprivation of liberty must establish through objective medical expertise that the person is of unsound mind. No such deprivation can occur without seeking the opinion of a medical expert which must be based on the present, not solely the past, circumstances. Any other approach falls short of the required protection against arbitrariness.

Citations:

[2000] ECHR 455, 31365/96, [2000] ECHR 457

Links:

Worldlii, Bailii

Cited by:

CitedG v E and Others CA 16-Jul-2010
E, now aged 19, suffered a genetic disorder leading to severe learning disability and lack of mental capacity. He had been in the care of his sister, the appellant, but had been removed by the local authority when his behaviour became disturbed. G, . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Human Rights

Updated: 04 June 2022; Ref: scu.165941