Violation of The Principle of Equality Before the Law in The Case of Ilaria Salis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22437/up.v6i2.41319Keywords:
equality before the law;, ilaria salis; , legal certainty.Abstract
Background: The principles of equality before the law and legal certainty are fundamental tenets of a rule-of-law state. Although the European Union (EU) operates under a sui generis legal framework, it is still expected to uphold these core legal principles. The case of Ilaria Salis, an Italian activist granted immunity despite her involvement in a criminal proceeding, raises concerns about the status of EU law within the international legal order. Methodology: Through a normative juridical analysis, this study examines the legal implications of granting immunity in the context of EU law. Objectives: To assess whether the immunity granted in the Ilaria Salis case is consistent with the fundamental legal principles of equality before the law and legal certainty, as recognized by EU legal instruments and jurisprudence. Findings: The study finds that the granting of immunity in this case led to a violation of both principles under EU legal standards, highlighting potential inconsistencies in the application of EU law. Originality/Novelty: This research addresses a contemporary legal dilemma by critically evaluating how the application of immunity in a high-profile case may undermine the foundational legal principles of the EU, thus questioning the coherence of EU law within the international legal framework.
Downloads
References
Acemoglu, Daron, and Alexander Wolitzky. “A Theory of Equality Before The Law.” NBER Working Paper No. 24681, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2016.09.008%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00412-015-0543-8%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature08473%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2009.01.007%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jmb.2012.10.008%0Ahttp://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s4159.
Barber, N.W. “The Rechtsstaat and the Rule of Law Reviewed Work ( s ): Weimar : A Jurisprudence of Crisis.” The University of Toronto Law Journal 53, no. 4 (2003): 443–54.
Bassiouni, M. Cherif. “A Functional Approach to ‘General Principles of International Law.’” Michigan Journal of International Law 11, no. 3 (1990): 768–818.
Burney, Laura H. “Digital Commons at St . Mary ’ s University Constitutional Law — Presidential Immunity — The President Is Absolutely Immune From Civil Damages Liability For Acts Done Within The ‘ Outer Perimeter ’ Of His Official Capacity ( Casenote )” 1145 (1982).
Ćorić, Vesna, and Aleksandra Rabrenović. “How To Ensure Free and Fair Elections in the Eu and Beyond: A Need for Rule of Law, Democracy and Human Rights Principles To Stand Together.” EU at the Crossroads – Ways to Preserve Democracy and Rule of Law 8, no. 8 (2024): 974–1009. https://doi.org/10.25234/eclic/32311.
Demokaan DEMİREL. “The Role of the European Ombudsman in GoodAdministration. Politics, Economics and Administrative Sciences.” Journal of Kirsehir Ahi Evran University 5, no. 2 (2021): 127–44. https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/our-strategy/home/en.
Ficsor, Krisztina. “Certainty and Uncertainty in Criminal Law and the ‘clarity of Norms’ Doctrine.” Hungarian Journal of Legal Studies 59, no. 3 (2018): 271–89. https://doi.org/10.1556/2052.2018.59.3.3.
Friedery, Réka. “Good Administration through the Lens of the CJEU: Direction for the Administrative Bodies.” Bratislava Law Review 2, no. 1 (2018): 116–22. https://doi.org/10.46282/blr.2018.2.1.98.
Gözler, Kemal. “The Question of the Rank of International Treaties in National Hierarchy of Norms.” Prof. Dr. Mehmet Genç’e Armağan [Essays in Honor of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Genç] II (2016): 21–45.
Greggi, Marco, and Anna Miotto. “The OECD Dispute Resolution System in Tax Controversies.” Laws 13, no. 4 (2024): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3390/laws13040045.
Jelić, Ivana, and Dimitrios Kapetanakis. European Judicial Supervision of the Rule of Law: The Protection of the Independence of National Judges by the CJEU and the ECtHR. Hague Journal on the Rule of Law. Vol. 13. Springer International Publishing, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40803-021-00155-5.
Kartalova, Sofiya. “Trust and the Exchange of EU Classified Information: The Example of Absolute Originator Control Impeding Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny at Europol.” German Law Journal 25, no. 1 (2024): 70–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2023.104.
Kreppel, Amie. “Bicameralism and the Balance of Power in EU Legislative Politics.” Journal of Legislative Studies 24, no. 1 (2018): 11–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/13572334.2018.1444623.
Kryvoi, Yarik, and Shaun Matos. “Non-Retroactivity as a General Principle of Law.” Utrecht Law Review 17, no. 1 (2021): 46–58. https://doi.org/10.36633/ULR.604.
Kusniati, Retno, Prasit Aekaputra, and Nhonlaphat Pitpiboonpreeya. “Domestic Implementation of International Law in Indonesia and Thailand.” Indonesian Journal of International Law 22, no. 1 (September 27, 2024). https://doi.org/10.17304/ijil.vol22.1.1895.
Kusniati, Retno, Helmi Helmi, Mohamad Rapik, Bunga Permatasari, and Peerapon Jaderojananont. “An ASEAN Transboundary Haze Court: Why Does It Matter and How Is It Possible?” Journal of Indonesian Legal Studies 9, no. 2 (November 30, 2024): 739–66. https://doi.org/10.15294/jils.v9i2.4488.
Lippert-Rasmussen, Kasper. Born Free and Equal? Etica e Politica. Vol. 15. New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof.
Meerbeeck, Jérémie Van. “The Principle of Legal Certainty in the Case Law of the European Court of Justice: From Certainty to Trust.” European Law Review 41, no. 2 (2016): 275–88.
Moelker, Nathan. “Law Only For The Future: Nonretroactivity As a Fundamental Principle of International Law.” Gonzaga Journal of International Law 26, no. 1 (1994): 1–24.
Nye, Hillary. “Predictability and Precedent.” Philosophical Foundations of Precedent i, no. October 2021 (2023): 443–55. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780192857248.003.0034.
Ostapenko, Hanna. “Role of Legal Certainty in Providing Economic Security: Ukraine’s Experience.” Theoretical and Practical Research in the Economic Fields 14, no. 2 (2023): 215–22. https://doi.org/10.14505/tpref.v14.2(28).02.
Semakula, Joel. “ Res Judicata in Judicial Review .” Judicial Review 25, no. 4 (2020): 307–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/10854681.2020.1871716.
Shcherbanyuk, Oksana, Vіtalii Gordieiev, and Laura Bzova. “Legal Nature of the Principle of Legal Certainty as a Component Element of the Rule of Law.” Juridical Tribune 13, no. 1 (2023): 21–31. https://doi.org/10.24818/TBJ/2023/13/1.02.
Silva, Victor Torre de. “Enlarging the Immunities of European Parliament’s Members: The Junqueras Judgment.” German Law Journal 22, no. 1 (2021): 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2020.102.
Spaak, Torben. “Consistency in Law.” SSRN Electronic Journal, no. April (2023). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4418149.
Thomsen, Frej Klem. “Concept, Principle, and Norm-Equality before the Law Reconsidered.” Legal Theory 24, no. 2 (2018): 103–34. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352325218000071.
Totskyi, Bronislav. “Legal Certainty as a Basic Principle of the Land Law of Ukraine.” Jurisprudence 21, no. 1 (2014): 204–22. https://doi.org/10.13165/jur-14-21-1-10.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mahardika Ahmad Gelora
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
