GROPPERA RADIO AG AND OTHERS v. SWITZERLAND JUDGMENT
DISSENTING OPINION OF JUDGE BERNHARDT
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really satisfied when a parliament confers unlimited or extremely broad
powers on the executive, which becomes the law-making as well as the lawexecuting authority? I have doubts in this respect, but it is not necessary to
discuss this question in extenso since I am convinced that the legal basis for
the interference in question is not sufficient even if Article 78 of the
Government's Ordinance of 17 August 1983 is taken as the starting-point.
This Article merely refers to "the provisions of the International
Telecommunication Convention and the international Radio Regulations",
without giving any further details. I accept that under the Swiss system
treaty law is part of domestic law. I also think that technical provisions
contained in international texts do not all have to be published in the official
gazette; it suffices that they are accessible, which is the case here. But what
do these international norms mean and prescribe in the present context? It
has never been clarified whether Italy violated its international obligations
by permitting or tolerating the radio broadcasts in question. It has never
been clarified whether Groppera Radio violated Italian law, including any
international norm which is self-executing in Italy. It seems to me to be
beyond doubt that Switzerland would not be in breach of any international
obligation if it were to permit the retransmission by cable of the programme
in question. Under international law it may have the right, but it clearly has
no duty, to intervene and to prohibit such retransmission. Taking the
foregoing into account and having regard to the only Swiss decision which
explains in some detail the situation under Swiss law - that is the decision of
31 July 1984 of the head office of the Swiss Post and Telecommunications
Authority -, I see no adequate and sufficiently clear legal provision which
can be regarded as a basis for the interference in question.
In view of this conclusion, it is not necessary for me to inquire whether
the other requirements of Article 10 § 2 (art. 10-2) are satisfied (purpose and
necessity of the interference). I would not exclude that the interference in
question could in the final event be found to be justified if it had had a solid
legal basis. But this is not the case.