’WPCĒ ÕP](*ņ†Å讵ˆÖŽAW:ćĒŹ‰Ū“O6*Y±p^—“7lĖJQƒŪt¼ļ³b†Ø-WkėbSÅ‘¢"2-Y¹³Ę„ĒɎós¹śj~N{ĶC†Ś1Ųߣżsro.ćQ4‡&l.{Šć*¢ĪĶ‘,ĢE0 ÄņƒóN·Ž0²ĀÜspøŲöq”Al?xLįY»esģ£ņØCæX.vwNœĶ ŁwŅė‚j%s©•ZŌž” Hņćp¬‘³ö²xw/c“uRŃŁÓSī¼%1tŖk۟~°Å})}¼|:ŖĀ֒ά¹wgėRŲÄśĀ8N żlē[°źŗė‡Ą€čŌ|æh.Å{ax Z—Dʗ6-½ ›]ü†0„ŠxÉ’›·)¤ōsäQ‰|™L(“žfD!{_o¶ńˆeS¤ŽmičoĄJ֟īń£c[ū”HNvś“Ö’šc‹éjNĖF«­0yĘĮҳ[źIG€ (#ĪHNߍé8ēŠ „Q||}µ  ŪŃMūœ}&TĻ=š~ ‚÷š’£ŃT ¼Ł€ļČ3¾k3G²/ĢĪIŗ%Xå ŹP'±¼FÄåĪ\(³Nų2WĖŹÓ`Ų€ūˆåÆü± #Į¶UNw %Å 0:Ė^ w4)8 m:tQNŘHP LaserJet 6P/6MP - StandardČŠššČŠ0&Öd9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX(ūœ$””ŌUKUS.,ŌՅ", tQ+9|X 3|x’U‹’ĄĄĄ KerrainConseil€dEtatdEtatpreclusionaryŻ ƒūœ!ŻŌUKUS.,ŌŻ  ŻŌ_Ōņ ņHUMAN€RIGHTS€COMMITTEEŠ ° ŠņņĢM.€K.€v.€FranceóóŠ ą ŠĢCommunication€No.€222/1987Š pĄ ŠĢ8€November€1989Š P   ŠĢŌ_ŌCCPRŌ_Ō/C/37/D/222/1987€*Š 0 € ŠĢĢADMISSIBILITYó óŠ P  ŠĢĢņņņņSubmitted€by:óó€€M.€K.€(name€deleted)€Š Š  ŠĢņņAlleged€victimóós:€€The€authorŠ ° ŠĢņņState€party€concerned:óó€€FranceŠ ą ŠĢņņDate€of€communicationóó:€€20€February€1987€(date€of€initial€letter)Š pĄ ŠĢņņDocumentation€references:€óó€Prior€decisions€„€Ō_ŌCCPRŌ_Ō/C/29/D/222/1987€(Rule€91€decision€to€the€€€€Š P  Šauthor€only,€dated€9€April€1987)€Ō_ŌCCPRŌ_Ō/C/WG/34/D/222/1987€(Working€Group€rule€€€€91Š @ Šdecision,€dated€20€October€1988)Š 0€ ŠĢņņDate€of€present€decision:óó€€8€November€1989óóŠ ` ŠĢĢÓ  Óņņņ ņDecision€on€admissibilityó óŠ ą0 ŠÓ  ÓÓ  ÓĢĢóó1.€€The€author€of€the€communication€(initial€letter€dated€20€February€1987;€further€submissions€datedŠ °"  Š10€March,€29€June€1987,€28€December€1988€and€22€May€1989)€is€M.€K.,€a€French€citizen€born€inŠ  #š! Š1952,€residing€in€Rennes,€France€and€employed€as€a€teacher.€€He€claims€to€be€a€victim€of€violationsŠ $ą" Šof€articles€2,€16,€19,€26€and€27€of€the€International€Covenant€on€Civil€and€Political€Rights€by€France.Š €%Š # ŠĢ2.1€€The€author€states€that€he€is€a€Breton€and€that€his€mother€tongue€is€Breton.€€He€complains€thatŠ `'°"% ŠFrench€courts€have€consistently€refused€him€the€right€to€express€himself€in€Breton,€and€that€his€rightŠ P( #& Što€defence€in€Breton€and€the€right€to€freedom€of€expression€in€Breton€are€not€respected.€€His€daughterŠ @)$' Šallegedly€does€not€enjoy€the€right€to€education€in€Breton,€and€television€broadcasts€in€Breton€amountŠ 0*€%( Šonly€to€one€hour€and€a€half€per€day,€except€in€the€summer€when€there€are€no€Breton€broadcasts€atŠ  +p&) Šall.€Š ,`'* ŠĢ2.2€€In€more€detail,€the€author€states€that€the€Administrative€Tribunal€of€Rennes€refused€to€considerŠ š-@), Ša€complaint€which€he€had€submitted€in€Breton€on€6€March€1987.€This€complaint€was€directed€againstŠ ° Šthe€steadfast€refusal€of€the€French€tax€authorities€to€write€his€address€in€Breton.€€Thus,€the€authorŠ  š Šsought€to€force€the€tax€authorities€to€use€his€Breton€address.€€On€6€March€1987€the€Tribunal€decidedŠ ą Šthat€the€document€had€to€be€submitted€in€French€if€it€was€to€be€considered€by€the€Court.Š €Š ŠĢ2.3€€With€respect€to€the€exhaustion€of€domestic€remedies,€the€author€alleges€that€non€are€available,Š ` ° Šsince€French€law€does€not€recognize€the€right€to€the€use€of€Breton€before€French€tribunals,€nor€theŠ P   Šright€to€be€educated€in€the€Breton€language.€Š @  ŠĢ3.€€€By€decision€of€9€April€1987,€the€Human€Rights€Committee,€without€transmitting€theŠ  p  Šcommunication€to€the€State€party,€requested€the€author,€under€rule€91€of€the€provisional€rules€ofŠ `  Šprocedure,€to€clarify€whether€he€understood€and€spoke€French€and€to€indicate€whether,€in€additionalŠ P  Što€himself,€he€also€purported€to€act€on€behalf€of€his€daughter.Š š@  ŠĢ4.1.€€In€his€reply€to€the€Committeeššs€questions,€dated€29€June€1987,€the€author€states€that,€althoughŠ Š  Šhe€understands€and€speaks€French,€he€nevertheless€does€not€regard€himself€as€sufficiently€proficientŠ Ą Šin€French€or€sufficiently€acquainted€with€French€legal€terminology€to€be€able€to€draft€his€petition€toŠ ° Šthe€Administrative€Tribunal€of€Rennes€or€his€communication€to€the€Human€Rights€CommitteeŠ  š Šwithout€outside€assistance.Š ą ŠĢ4.2.€€The€author€alleges€that€his€complaint€to€the€Administrative€Tribunal€of€Rennes€should€haveŠ pĄ Šbeen€accepted,€because€article€27€recognizes€his€right€to€use€his€own€language€before€the€courts.€Š `° ŠFurthermore,€the€author€claims,€the€Tribunal€refuses€his€petition€on€the€basis€of€a€ruling€that€deniedŠ P  Šhis€legal€personality€(article€16€of€the€Covenant)€and€which€therefore€discriminated€between€FrenchŠ @ Šcitizens€on€the€ground€of€their€Breton€national€origin€and€language€in€violation€of€article€26€of€theŠ 0€ ŠCovenant.Š  p ŠĢ4.3€€With€regard€to€the€alleged€violation€of€article€14,€the€author€contends€that€the€right€to€theŠ P Šassistance€of€interpreters,€stipulated€in€article€14,€paragraph€3€(f)€of€the€Covenant,€has€always€beenŠ š@ Šdenied€to€Breton„speaking€French€citizens.€€He€finally€asserts€that€the€French€judicial€administrationŠ ą0 Šsimply€expects€every€French€citizen€to€speak€French.Š Š  ŠĢ5.€€By€decision€of€20€October€1988,€the€Working€Group€of€the€Human€Rights€Committee€transmittedŠ °"  Šthe€communication€under€rule€91€of€the€provisional€rules€of€procedure€to€the€State€party,€requestingŠ  #š! Šinformation€and€observations€relevant€to€the€question€of€the€admissibility€of€the€communication,€inŠ $ą" Šparticular€on€the€effective€remedies€available€to€the€author€in€the€specific€circumstances€of€the€case.Š €%Š # ŠĢ6.1€€In€its€submission€under€rule€91€of€the€provisional€rules€of€procedure,€dated€15€January€1989,€theŠ `'°"% ŠState€party€contests€the€admissibility€of€the€communication€on€several€grounds.€€With€regard€to€theŠ P( #& Šexhaustion€of€domestic€remedies,€it€argues€that€the€author€failed€to€exhaust€them,€as€required€underŠ @)$' Šarticle€5,€paragraph€2€(b),€of€the€Optional€Protocol.€€According€to€the€State€party,€the€author€shouldŠ 0*€%( Šhave€complied€with€the€rules€of€submission€of€the€Administrative€Tribunal;€moreover,€he€retainedŠ  +p&) Šthe€right€to€appeal€to€the€Conseil€Ō_ŌdššEtatŌ_Ō€should€the€Administrative€Tribunal€dismiss€his€claim.Š ,`'* ŠĢ6.2€€With€regard€to€the€alleged€violations€of€article€2,€paragraphs€1€and€2,€the€State€party€submits€thatŠ š-@), Šsuch€violations€cannot€but€be€the€result€of€an€infringement€of€the€authorššs€right€under€other€articlesŠ ° Šof€the€Covenant.€€The€State€party€adds€that€the€author€has€not€been€able€to€establish€suchŠ  š Šinfringements.Š ą ŠĢ6.3€€With€regard€to€the€authorššs€allegations€that€he€has€been€denied€the€right€to€recognition€as€aŠ pĄ Šperson€before€the€law€(article€16),€the€State€party€submits€that€the€author€has€provided€no€evidenceŠ ` ° Šin€substantiation€of€this€claim,€and€that€the€reference€to€article€16€constitutes€an€abusiveŠ P   Šinterpretation€of€the€notion€of€š šperson€before€the€lawšš.€€On€the€contrary,€the€State€party€continues,Š @  Šsuch€right€was€fully€recognized€to€the€author€inasmuch€as€it€was€open€to€him€to€initiate€the€procedureŠ 0 € Šindicated€to€him€by€the€Administrative€Tribunal€in€its€letter€of€6€March€1987.Š  p  ŠĢ6.4€€With€regard€to€the€authorššs€allegations€under€article€19,€paragraph€2,€the€State€party€submits€thatŠ P  Šthe€claim€is€inadmissible€because€he€has€not€substantiated€his€assertion€to€have€been€denied€the€rightŠ š@  Što€freedom€of€expression.€€Furthermore,€the€State€party€contends,€such€right€cannot€be€deemed€toŠ ą0  Šencompass€the€freedom€of€French€citizens€to€use€whatever€language€or€dialect€they€choose€beforeŠ Š  ŠFrench€administrative€tribunals.Š Ą ŠĢ6.5€€As€to€the€authorššs€claim€that€he€was€subjected€to€discrimination€on€grounds€of€his€language,€theŠ  š ŠState€party€submits€that€the€refusal€of€the€Administrative€Tribunal€of€Rennes€to€register€the€authorššsŠ ą Šcomplaint€was€in€conformity€with€an€established€practice€sanctioned€by€the€jurisprudence€of€theŠ €Š ŠConseil€Ō_ŌdššEtatŌ_Ō€and€destined€to€facilitate€the€administration€of€justice€by€relieving€courts€from€theŠ pĄ Šobligation€to€use€translation€services€and€allowing€them€to€issue€their€decisions€on€the€basis€of€theŠ `° Štext€of€the€original€submission.€Consequently,€the€State€party€concludes,€the€author€cannot€beŠ P  Šdeemed€to€have€suffered€any€discrimination€on€account€of€the€application€to€him€of€a€general€andŠ @ Šuniform€rule.Š 0€ ŠĢ6.6€€As€to€the€authorššs€allegations€under€article€27,€the€State€party€considers€that€the€declarationŠ ` Šmade€by€it€upon€accession€to€the€Covenant€on€4€November€1980€excludes€the€CommitteeššsŠ P Šcompetence€to€examine€communications€concerning€purported€violations€of€that€article.€€The€StateŠ š@ Šparty€therefore€concludes€that€the€communication€should€be€declared€inadmissible€as€incompatibleŠ ą0 Šwith€the€provisions€of€the€Covenant.Š Š  ŠĢ7.1€€Commenting€on€the€State€partyššs€submission,€the€author,€in€a€letter€dated€22€May€1989,Š °"  Šcontends€that€the€established€jurisprudence€of€the€Conseil€Ō_ŌdššEtatŌ_Ō€on€the€matter€shows€that€theŠ  #š! Šremedies€indicated€by€the€State€party€would€have€no€prospect€of€success.Š $ą" ŠĢ7.2€€The€author€further€explains€that€he€has€been€a€victim€of€discrimination€on€the€ground€of€hisŠ p&Ą!$ Šmother€tongue€in€the€sense€that€some€French€citizens€are€allowed€to€use€their€own€language€in€courtsŠ `'°"% Šwhile€others€are€not.€€In€addition,€the€author€claims,€technical€problems,€such€as€the€need€for€theŠ P( #& Šcourts€to€use€translation€services,€should€not€constitute€an€obstacle€to€the€full€enjoyment€of€humanŠ @)$' Šrights.€€He€refers€in€this€context€to€the€example€of€Belgium€and€Switzerland,€where€differentŠ 0*€%( Špractices€prevail.Š  +p&) ŠĢ7.3€€As€far€as€article€27€is€concerned,€the€author€first€noted€that,€upon€accession€to€the€Covenant€onŠ -P(+ Š4€November€1980,€France€made€a€š šdeclarationšš€but€not€a€š šreservationšš,€that€since€France€madeŠ š-@), Šš šreservationsšš€with€regard€to€other€articles€of€the€Covenant,€its€š šdeclarationšš€with€regard€to€articleŠ ° Š27€should€be€treated€differently;€secondly,€that€a€distinct€Breton€ethnic€and€linguistic€minority€isŠ  š Šinternationally€recognized€by€sociologists€and€scholarly€publicists;€and€thirdly,€that€numerous€FrenchŠ ą ŠParliamentarians€(centre,€communist,€socialist)€have€proposed€bills€concerning€the€Breton€language.€Š €Š ŠFinally,€the€author€submits€that,€notwithstanding€the€French€declaration€in€respect€of€article€27,€noŠ pĄ Šreservation€or€declaration€equivalent€to€a€reservation€has€ever€been€made€by€the€State€partyŠ ` ° Šconcerning€articles€2,€16,€19€and€26€of€the€Covenant.Š P   Š€Ģ8.1€€Before€considering€any€claims€contained€in€a€communication,€the€Human€Rights€CommitteeŠ 0 € Šshall,€in€accordance€with€rule€87€of€the€provisional€rules€of€procedure,€decide€whether€it€isŠ  p  Šadmissible€under€the€Optional€Protocol€to€the€Covenant.€Š `  ŠĢ8.2€€Article€5,€paragraph€2€(b),€of€the€Optional€Protocol€precludes€the€Committee€from€consideringŠ š@  Šany€communication€by€an€individual€who€has€failed€to€exhaust€all€available€domestic€remedies.€€ThisŠ ą0  Šis€a€general€rule,€which€applies€unless€the€remedies€are€unreasonably€prolonged,€or€the€author€of€theŠ Š  Šcommunication€has€convincingly€demonstrated€that€domestic€remedies€are€not€effective,€i.e.€do€notŠ Ą Šhave€any€prospect€of€success.Š ° ŠĢ8.3€€On€the€basis€of€the€information€before€the€Committee,€there€are€no€circumstances€which€wouldŠ ą Šabsolve€the€author€from€attempting€to€pursue€all€domestic€remedies.€€He€has€not€been€criminallyŠ €Š Šprosecuted€but€seeks€to€initiate€proceedings€before€an€administrative€court€to€establish€that€he€hasŠ pĄ Šbeen€denied€rights€protected€by€the€Covenant.€€The€purpose€of€article€5,€paragraph€2€(b),€of€theŠ `° ŠOptional€Protocol€is,€ņņinter€aliaóó,€to€direct€possible€victims€of€violations€of€the€provisions€of€theŠ P  ŠCovenant€to€seek,€in€first€place,€satisfaction€from€the€competent€State€party€authorities€and,€at€theŠ @ Šsame€time,€to€enable€States€parties€to€examine,€on€the€basis€of€individual€complaints,€theŠ 0€ Šimplementation,€and€if€necessary,€remedy€the€violations€occurring€within€their€territory€and€by€theirŠ  p Šorgans,€of€the€provisions€of€the€Covenant€and,€if€necessary,€remedy€the€violations€occurring€beforeŠ ` Šthe€Committee€is€seized€of€the€matter.Š P ŠĢ8.4€€If€remains€to€be€determined€whether€the€fact€that€the€author€is€obliged€to€use€the€FrenchŠ ą0 Šlanguage€in€order€to€establish€that€his€rights€are€being€violated€by€having€to€use€the€French€languageŠ Š  Šin€legal€proceedings,€renders€the€remedy€ineffective.€€The€Committee€observes€that€the€matter€of€theŠ Ą! Šexclusive€use€of€French€to€institute€proceedings€in€courts€is€the€issue€to€be€examined€at€first€instanceŠ °"  Šby€the€French€judicial€organs€and€that,€under€the€applicable€laws,€this€can€be€done€only€by€usingŠ  #š! ŠFrench.€€In€view€of€the€fact€that€the€author€has€demonstrated€his€proficiency€in€French,€theŠ $ą" ŠCommittee€finds€that€it€would€not€be€unreasonable€for€him€to€submit€his€claim€in€French€to€theŠ €%Š # ŠFrench€courts.€€Further,€no€irreparable€harm€would€done€to€the€authorššs€substantive€case€by€usingŠ p&Ą!$ Šthe€French€language€to€pursue€his€remedy.€€The€objection€raised€by€the€author,€that€he€is€notŠ `'°"% Šsufficiently€acquainted€with€French€legal€terminology€to€prepare€submissions€to€courts€cannot€beŠ P( #& Šentertained€by€the€Committee;€the€same€difficulty€is€faced€by€citizens€in€all€countries,€even€whenŠ @)$' Šusing€their€mother€tongue,€and€is€the€principle€reason€for€seeking€professional€legal€assistance.€Š 0*€%( ŠĢ8.5€€The€author€has€also€invoked€article€27€of€the€Covenant€claiming€that€he€has€been€a€victim€of€aŠ ,`'* Šbreach€of€its€provisions.€€Upon€accession€to€the€Covenant,€the€French€Government€declared€that€š šinŠ -P(+ Šthe€light€of€article€2€of€the€Constitution€of€the€French€Republic,€...€article€27€is€not€applicable€so€farŠ š-@), Šas€the€republic€is€concernedššņņ€1óó.€This€declaration€has€not€been€objected€to€by€other€States€parties,€norŠ ° Šhas€it€been€withdrawn.Š  š ŠĢ8.6€The€Committee€is€therefore€called€upon€to€decide€whether€this€declaration€precludes€it€fromŠ €Š Šexamining€a€communication€alleging€a€violation€of€article€27.€Article€2,€paragraph€1€(d),€of€theŠ pĄ ŠVienna€Convention€of€the€Law€of€Treaties€stipulates€as€follows:Š ` ° ŠĢą0  ąš šReservationšš€means€a€unilateral€statement,€however€phrased€or€named,€made€by€a€State,Š @  Šwhen€...€acceding€to€a€treaty,€whereby€it€purports€to€exclude€or€to€modify€the€legal€effect€ofŠ 0 € Šcertain€provisions€of€the€treaty€in€their€application€to€that€State.ššŠ p (#(# ŠĢThe€Convention€does€not€make€a€distinction€between€reservations€and€declarations.€€The€CovenantŠ P  Šitself€does€not€provide€any€guidance€in€determining€whether€a€unilateral€statement€made€by€a€StateŠ š@  Šparty€upon€accession€to€it€should€have€preclusionary€effect€regardless€of€whether€it€is€termed€aŠ ą0  Šreservation€or€declaration.€€The€Committee€observes€in€this€respect€that€it€is€not€the€formalŠ Š  Šdesignation€but€the€effect€the€statement€purports€to€have€that€determines€its€nature.€€If€the€statementŠ Ą Šdisplays€a€clear€intent€on€the€part€of€the€State€party€to€exclude€or€modify€the€legal€effect€of€a€specificŠ ° Šprovision€of€a€treaty,€it€must€be€regarded€as€a€binding€reservation,€even€if€the€statement€is€phrasedŠ  š Šas€a€declaration.€€In€the€present€case,€the€statement€entered€by€the€French€Government€uponŠ ą Šaccession€to€the€Covenant€is€clear:€€it€seeks€to€exclude€the€application€of€article€27€to€France€andŠ €Š Šemphasizes€this€exclusion€semantically€with€the€words€š šis€not€applicablešš.€€This€statementššs€intentŠ pĄ Šis€unequivocal€and€thus€mus€be€given€preclusionary€effect€in€spite€of€the€terminology€used.€Š `° ŠFurthermore,€the€State€partyššs€submission€of€15€January€1989€also€speaks€a€French€š šreservationšš€inŠ P  Šrespect€of€article€27.€€Accordingly,€the€Committee€considers€that€it€is€not€competent€to€considerŠ @ Šcomplaints€directed€against€France€concerning€alleged€violations€of€article€27€of€the€Covenant.Š 0€ ŠĢ9.€€The€Human€Rights€Committee€therefore€decides:Š ` ŠĢą0  ą(a)€€That€the€communication€is€inadmissible€under€articles€2€and€5,€paragraph€2€(b),€of€theŠ š@ ŠOptional€Protocol;Šą0(#(# ŠĢą0  ą(b)€€That€this€decision€shall€be€communicated€to€the€State€party€and€to€the€author€of€theŠ Ą! Šcommunication.а" (#(# ŠĢ__________Š $ą" ŠĢ*€€All€persons€handling€this€document€are€requested€to€respect€and€observe€its€confidential€nature.Š p&Ą!$ ŠĢ1/€€The€reason€for€the€declaration€are€explained€by€the€State€party€in€its€second€periodic€report€to€theŠ P( #& ŠHuman€Rights€Committee€under€article€40€of€the€Covenant€(document€Ō_ŌCCPRŌ_Ō/C/46/Add.2)€asŠ @)$' Šfollows:€€š šSince€the€basic€principles€of€public€law€prohibit€distinctions€between€citizens€on€groundsŠ 0*€%( Šof€origin,€race€or€religion,€France€is€a€country€in€which€there€are€no€minorities€and,€as€stated€in€theŠ  +p&) Šdeclaration€made€by€France,€article€27€is€not€applicable€as€far€as€the€Republic€is€concerned.šš€€TheŠ ,`'* Šsame€explanation€also€appears€in€the€initial€report€of€France€(document€Ō_ŌCCPRŌ_Ō/C/22/Add.2).Š -P(+ ŠÓaÓŌ_ŌŌ_Ō