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United Nations Human Rights Committee.89 Under Article 5(2)(a) of the
Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
the Human Rights Committee does not consider an individual communication
unless it has ascertained that ‘the same matter is not being examined under
another procedure of international investigation or settlement.’90
In Fanali v Italy, the Human Rights Committee entertained a communication
alleging violation of the right to appeal contrary to Article 14(5) of the ICCPR.91
The author of the communication along with other defendants was tried and
sentenced before the Constitutional Court of Italy. His co-defendants submitted
complaints to the European Commission of Human Rights while the author did
not. Since the respondent State made reservation under Article 5(2)(a) of the
Optional Protocol, it argued that the communication was inadmissible as the
same matter was being examined before the European Commission of Human
Rights. The Human Rights Committee rejected the respondent’s argument and
defined ‘the same matter’ as ‘including the same claim concerning the same
individual, submitted by him or someone else who has the standing to act on his
behalf before the other international body.’92 Although it did not find violation,
the Committee found the communication admissible.
In O.F. v Norway, the Human Rights Committee was seized with a
communication against Norway for violation of Article 14 of the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).93 Although the case was
submitted to the European Commission of Human Rights, it was rejected since
it was not submitted within six months from the time of exhaustion of local
remedies. while considering admissibility of the communication, the Human
Rights Committee accepted Norway’s argument that ‘Article 5(2)(a) [of the
Optional Protocol] prevents simultaneous duplicating procedures.’ Since the
European Commission of Human Rights did not examine the communication,
89
Other example include the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights under art
46(1)(c) of the American Convention on Human Rights, adopted by the Inter
American Specialised Conference on Human Rights on 22 of November 1969 at San
Jose, entered into force on 18 July 1978.
90 Art 5(2)(a) of Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, adopted by General Assembly resolution 2200A (XXI) of 16 December 1966,
entered into force on 23 March 1976.
91 Communication No. 75/1980, Fanali v Italy adopted on 31 March 1983 at eighteenth
session of Human Rights Committee in International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights: Selected Decisions of the Human Rights Committee under the Optional
Protocol CCPR/C/OP/2 Vol 2 para 7.2, p. 100.
92 Ibid, para 7.2 at 100.
93 Communication No. 158/1983, O. F. vNorway (Human Rights Committee) (twentythird session) 26 October 1984 CCPR/C/OP/2.