A, B and C v Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie: fairer assessment procedures for gay and lesbian asylum applicants in the European Union

Publishers Abstract
In A, B and C v Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie , the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Judgement has clarified the methods which EU Member States can use to assess the credibility of asylum claims based on sexual orientation. Relying upon the procedural safeguards set out in Directive 2004/83, as well as arts 1 and 7 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, the Court’s judgment will shield asylum applicants from the most serious intrusions into their private life and human dignity.

This article considers the Grand Chamber’s reasoning, and reflects upon how A, B and C may impact on future asylum decisions across Europe. In three parts, the article places the Court’s judgment within the existing procedures and protections for asylum claims under EU law, assesses the extent to which the judges’ arguments engage with the lived-experience of asylum applicants in Europe, and suggests both how EU Member States can respond to the ruling, as well as how the Grand Chamber’s decision may influence future European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) case law.

• Primary Source

Sweet and Maxwell: European Law Review http://www.sweetandmaxwell.co.uk/catalogue/productdetails.aspx?recordid=427&productid=6968

ECJ: Press Release, No.162, 2014 (02.12.14): Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-148/13, C-149/13, C-150/13 A, B, C v Staatssecretaris van Veiligheid en Justitie - EU court strikes down gay asylum tests http://www.europeansources.info/record/judgment-of-the-court-of-justice-in-joined-cases-c-148-13-c-149-13-c-150-13-a-b-c-v-staatssecretaris-van-veiligheid-en-justitie-eu-court-strikes-down-gay-asylum-tests/

ECJ: Press Release No.145, 2013 (07.11.13): Judgment of the Court of Justice in Joined Cases C-199/12, C-200/12, C-201/12 X, Y, Z / EU court backs asylum rights for gay people http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-judgment-of-the-court-of-justice-in-joined-cases-c-199-12-c-200-12-c-201-12-x-y-z-eu-court-backs-asylum-rights-for-gay-people/

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