The continuing challenge of the Hungarian situation to the Rule of law

Jun 21, 1957

Supplement to the ICJ Report published in April 1957

“The Commission now wishes to draw the attention of lawyers throughout the world, and of general public opinion, to the continuing violation in Hungary of principles of justice recognized by all civilized nations. With this end in view the Commission has prepared the following report which supplements the report issued on March 2nd under the title of “The Hungarian Situation and the Rule of Law”.

“1. The UN report on Hungary expressly endorses the resolutions of the Hague Conference called by the Commission on March 2nd on administration of Justice in Hungary and accepts the legal conclusions submitted by Sir Hartley Shawcross to the UN Committee of 5 in Geneva on March 13, namely

1. that the Russian intervention was “aggression”, even according to the Soviet Union’s own definition.
2. that the methods used to put down opposition involving flagrant disregard of human rights, constitute a violation of the UN Charter, the Hungarian Peace Treaty of 1947 and the Geneva Conventions of 1949.
3. that the introduction of special tribunals and summary procedure has deprived the accused of fundamental rights of defence.

2. The International Commission of Jurists has collected information from Hungarian sources which shows that the system of legal repression in Hungary is continuing and increasing.”

The report contains sections on the legal policy of the Kadar regime, new legislation dealing with political offenders, trials published by the Hungarian authorities.

With appendices:

1. Decree-Law Nr. 25/1957 concerning the setting up of the People’s Chamber of the Supreme Court and the regulation of its procedure;
2. Ordinance no. 1/1957 concerning expulsion and the placing of persons under police control
3. information on sentences under summary jurisdiction between 27 February and June 1957, as published in Hungarian sources

Hungary-continuing challenge rule of law-thematic report-1957-eng (full text in English, PDF)

Hungary-continuing challenge rule of law-thematic report-1957-fra (full text in French, PDF)