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A master's thesis from Aalborg University
Book cover


Expropriation according to the European Court of Human Rights

Translated title

Ekspropriasjon ifølge den Europeiske Menneskerettighetsdomstolen

Author

Term

4. term

Education

Publication year

2024

Submitted on

Pages

59

Abstract

Afhandlingen undersøger, hvordan Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedsdomstol (EMD) fortolker og anvender Den Europæiske Menneskerettighedskonvention (EMRK) i sager om ekspropriation, med hovedvægt på artikel 1 i Tillægsprotokol nr. 1. Metodisk bygger arbejdet på en retsdogmatisk analyse af gældende ret, der systematisk gennemgår EMD’s struktur og klageadgang, forholdet til national ret samt domstolens formålsorienterede og dynamiske fortolkningsprincipper. Afhandlingen kortlægger de centrale elementer i EMD’s vurderinger: hvad der udgør “ejendom” og berettigede forventninger, sondringen mellem afståelse og kontrol med brug, krav om offentlig interesse, proportionalitet (fair balance), statens skønsmargin og legalitetskravet. Derudover beskrives ekspropriationsforløbet fra forhandling til erstatningsfastsættelse, herunder spørgsmål om fuld erstatning, ingen erstatning og erstatning ved ulovlig ekspropriation, samt procesuelle garantier som retten til en retfærdig rettergang. Afhandlingen afgrænser sig fra detaljerede nationale regler og andre måder at erhverve ejendom på og tilstræber en nøgtern fremstilling uden normative anbefalinger. Afslutningsvis reflekteres over EMD’s rolle i at forme ekspropriationspraksis og betydningen for ejendomsrettens beskyttelse i Europa.

This thesis examines how the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) interprets and applies the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in expropriation cases, with a focus on Article 1 of Protocol No. 1. It adopts a doctrinal legal method (de lege lata) to analyze the Court’s structure and avenues of appeal, its relationship to national law, and its purposive and dynamic interpretive approach. The study maps the core elements the ECtHR assesses: what counts as “possessions” and legitimate expectations, the distinction between deprivation and control of use, requirements of public interest and proportionality (fair balance), the margin of appreciation, and the lawfulness criterion. It also outlines the expropriation process from negotiation through compensation, including issues around full compensation, no compensation, compensation for unlawful expropriation, and procedural safeguards such as the right to a fair trial. The thesis is deliberately descriptive rather than prescriptive and excludes detailed analysis of national legal systems or other modes of property acquisition. It concludes with reflections on the ECtHR’s role in shaping expropriation jurisprudence and the implications for the protection of property rights in Europe.

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