CCPR/C/106/D/1912/2009
Appendix
Individual (dissenting) opinion of Mr. Krister Thelin
The majority has admitted the author’s claim under article 7 of the Covenant, considered it
on the merits and found a violation. I disagree.
The Committee is in essence asked, and the majority has agreed thereto, to act as a fourth
instance, even though it is clear from the Committee’s jurisprudence that, as a general rule,
it is for the organs of States parties to the Covenant to review or evaluate facts and evidence
in order to determine whether the alleged risk exists. The exception to this general rule is
where the evaluation was clearly arbitrary or amounted to a denial of justice. That is not the
case in the communication before us, and, therefore, the claim should not have been
admitted. (See my dissenting opinion in communication No. 1763/2008, Pillai et al. v.
Canada with references)
[Done in English, French and Spanish, the English text being the original version.
Subsequently to be issued also in Arabic, Chinese and Russian as part of the Committee’s
annual report to the General Assembly.]
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