A/52/40
A/52/40
United Nations
Report of the
Human Rights Committee
Volume I
General Assembly
Official Records • Fifty-second Session
Supplement No. 40 (A/52/40)
A/52/40
Report of the
Human Rights Committee
Volume I
General Assembly
Official Records • Fifty-second Session
Supplement No. 40 (A/52/40)
United Nations • New York, 1997
NOTE
Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.
ISSN 0255-2353
[Original: English]
[21 September 1997]
CONTENTS
Chapter Paragraphs Page
I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS ..................... 1 - 30 1
A. States parties to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights ....................... 1 - 4 1
B. Sessions ......................................... 5 1
C. Elections, membership and attendance ............. 6 - 8 1
D. Solemn declaration ............................... 9 2
E. Election of officers ............................. 10 - 11 2
F. Special Rapporteurs .............................. 12 2
G. Working groups ................................... 13 - 16 3
H. Other matters .................................... 17 - 18 3
I. Staff resources .................................. 19 4
J. Publicity for the work of the Committee .......... 20 4
K. Documents and publications relating to the work of
the Committee .................................... 21 - 27 4
L. Future meetings of the Committee ................. 28 - 29 5
M. Adoption of the report ........................... 30 5
II. METHODS OF WORK OF THE COMMITTEE UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF
THE COVENANT: OVERVIEW OF PRESENT WORKING METHODS ... 31 - 44 6
A. Informal meeting on procedures and later
developments ..................................... 32 6
B. Recent decisions on procedures ................... 33 - 42 6
C. Other issues relating to methods of work under
article 40 ....................................... 43 - 44 8
III. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS BY STATES PARTIES UNDER
ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT ........................... 45 - 50 9
A. Reports submitted by States parties under
article 40 of the Covenant ....................... 48 9
B. Observations of States parties on the Committee's
concluding comments .............................. 49 - 50 10
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
IV. STATES THAT HAVE NOT COMPLIED WITH THEIR OBLIGATIONS
UNDER ARTICLE 40 ..................................... 51 - 53 11
V. CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES
UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT ..................... 54 - 450 13
A. Denmark .......................................... 55 - 77 14
B. United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern
Ireland (Hong Kong) .............................. 78 - 85 17
C. Switzerland ...................................... 86 - 116 19
D. Gabon ............................................ 117 - 145 24
E. Peru ............................................. 146 - 170 28
F. Germany .......................................... 171 - 190 32
G. Bolivia .......................................... 191 - 227 35
H. Georgia .......................................... 228 - 263 40
I. Colombia ......................................... 264 - 308 44
J. Portugal (Macau) ................................. 309 - 330 50
K. Lebanon .......................................... 331 - 361 53
L. Slovakia ......................................... 362 - 387 58
M. France ........................................... 388 - 415 62
N. India ............................................ 416 - 450 67
VI. GENERAL COMMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE .................... 451 - 452 73
VII. CONSIDERATION OF COMMUNICATIONS UNDER THE OPTIONAL
PROTOCOL ............................................. 453 - 517 74
A. Progress of work ................................. 455 - 461 74
B. Growth of the Committee's caseload under the
Optional Protocol ................................ 462 - 465 75
C. Approaches to examining communications under the
Optional Protocol ................................ 466 - 471 76
D. Individual opinions .............................. 472 - 473 77
E. Issues considered by the Committee ............... 474 - 516 78
F. Remedies called for under the Committee's Views .. 517 87
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Paragraphs Page
VIII. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL ..... 518 -557 88
Annexes
I. STATES PARTIES TO THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON CIVIL AND
POLITICAL RIGHTS AND TO THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOLS AND STATES WHICH
HAVE MADE THE DECLARATION UNDER ARTICLE 41 OF THE COVENANT AS
AT 1 AUGUST 1997 ................................................. 102
A. States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights ............................................. 102
B. States parties to the Optional Protocol ...................... 105
C. Status of the Second Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition
of the death penalty ......................................... 108
D. States which have made the declaration under article 41 of
the Covenant ................................................. 108
II. MEMBERSHIP AND OFFICERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE, 1996-1997 . 111
A. Membership ................................................... 111
B. Officers ..................................................... 111
III. SUBMISSION OF REPORTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BY STATES PARTIES
UNDER ARTICLE 40 OF THE COVENANT DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW .. 112
IV. STATUS OF REPORTS CONSIDERED DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW AND
OF REPORTS STILL PENDING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE .................... 119
V. LIST OF STATES PARTIES' DELEGATIONS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THE
CONSIDERATION OF THEIR RESPECTIVE REPORTS BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMITTEE AT ITS FIFTY-EIGHTH, FIFTY-NINTH AND SIXTIETH SESSIONS . 121
VI. VIEWS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE UNDER ARTICLE 5, PARAGRAPH 4,
OF THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL
A. Communication No. 481/1991; Jorge Villacrés Ortega v. Ecuador
(Views adopted on 8 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
B. Communication No. 526/1993; Michael and Brian Hill v. Spain
(Views adopted on 2 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
Appendix
C. Communication No. 528/1993; Michael Steadman v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 2 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
D. Communication No. 529/1993; Hervin Edwards v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
E. Communication No. 533/1993; Harold Elahie v. Trinidad and Tobago
(Views adopted on 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
F. Communication No. 535/1993; Lloydell Richards v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 31 March 1997, fifty-ninth session)
Appendix
G. Communication No. 538/1993; Charles E. Stewart v. Canada
(Views adopted on 1 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
Appendix
H. Communication No. 549/1993; Francis Hopu and Tepoaitu Bessert
v. France
(Views adopted on 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
I. Communication No. 550/1993; Robert Faurisson v. France
(Views adopted on 8 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
Appendix
J. Communication No. 552/1993; Wieslaw Kall v. Poland
(Views adopted on 14 July 1997, sixtieth session)
K. Communication No. 558/1993; Giosue Canepa v. Canada
(Views adopted on 3 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
Appendix
L. Communication No. 560/1993; A v. Australia
(Views adopted on 3 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
Appendix
M. Communication No. 561/1993; Desmond Williams v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 8 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
N. Communication No. 572/1994; Hezekiah Price v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 6 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
O. Communication No. 587/1994; Irvine Reynolds v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 3 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
P. Communication No. 607/1994; Michael Adams v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 30 October 1996, fifty-eighth session)
Q. Communication No. 612/1995; Arhuacos v. Colombia
(Views adopted on 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
R. Communication No. 639/1995; Lawson Richards and Trevor Walker
v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
S. Communication No. 671/1995; Jouni E. Länsman et al. v. Finland
(Views adopted on 30 October 1996, fifty-eighth session)
T. Communication No. 692/1996; A. R. J. v. Australia
(Views adopted on 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
U. Communication No. 696/1996; Peter Blaine v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 17 July 1997, sixtieth session)
Appendix
V. Communication No. 702/1996; Clifford McLawrence v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 18 July 1997, sixtieth session)
Appendix
W. Communication No. 707/1996; Patrick Taylor v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 14 July 1997, sixtieth session)
X. Communication No. 708/1996; Neville Lewis v. Jamaica
(Views adopted on 17 July 1997, sixtieth session)
Appendix
VII. DECISIONS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE DECLARING COMMUNICATIONS
INADMISSIBLE UNDER THE OPTIONAL PROTOCOL
A. Communication No. 557/1994; Klaus Werenbeck v. Australia
(Decision of 27 March 1997, fifty-ninth session)
B. Communication No. 593/1994; Patrick Holland v. Ireland
(Decision of 25 October 1996, fifty-eighth session)
C. Communication No. 601/1994; E. J. and C. M. Drake v. New Zealand
(Decision of 3 April 1997, fifty-ninth session)
D. Communication No. 603/1994; Andres Badu v. Canada
(Decision of 18 July 1997, sixtieth session)
E. Communication No. 604/1994; Joseph Nartey v. Canada
(Decision of 18 July 1997, sixtieth session)
F. Communication No. 632/1995; Herbert Thomas Potter v. New Zealand
(Decision of 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
G. Communication No. 643/1995; Peter Drobek v. Slovakia
(Decision of 14 July 1997, sixtieth session)
Appendix
H. Communication No. 654/1995; Kwame Williams Adu v. Canada
(Decision of 18 July 1997, sixtieth session)
CONTENTS (continued)
Chapter Page
I. Communication No. 658/1995; Jacob and Jantina Hendrika van Oord
v. the Netherlands
(Decision of 23 July 1997, sixtieth session)
J. Communication No. 659/1995; Brigitte Lang v. Australia
(Decision of 8 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
K. Communication No. 661/1995; Paul Triboulet v. France
(Decision of 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
L. Communication No. 674/1995; Lúdvik Emil Kaaber v. Iceland
(Decision of 5 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
M. Communication No. 679/1996; Darwish v. Austria
(Decision of 28 July 1997, sixtieth session)
N. Communication No. 698/1996; Gonzalo Bonelo Sánchez v. Spain
(Decision of 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
O. Communication No. 700/1996; Trevor L. Jarman v. Australia
(Decision of 8 November 1996, fifty-eighth session)
P. Communication No. 755/1997; Clarence T. Maloney v. Germany
(Decision of 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
Q. Communication No. 758/1997; José María Gómez Navarro v. Spain
(Decision of 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
R. Communication No. 761/1997; Ranjit Singh v. Canada
(Decision of 29 July 1997, sixtieth session)
VIII. LIST OF DOCUMENTS ISSUED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD .............. 130
I. ORGANIZATIONAL AND OTHER MATTERS
A. States parties to the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights