Religion – Weltanschauung – Recht [ RWR ]

In today’s Chamber judgment in the case of Theodorou and Tsotsorou v. Greece (application no. 57854/15) the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been a violation of Article 12 (right to marry) of the European Convention on Human Rights. The case concerned a judicial decision annulling the marriage of Ms Tsotsorou and Mr Theodorou on the grounds that Ms Tsotsorou was Mr Theodorou’s former sister-in-law. On the basis of Article 1357 of the Civil Code – which prohibits, in particular, marriage between persons of collateral affinity up to the third degree –, the Greek courts annulled the applicants’ marriage, 10 years after it had been entered into, and held that the individuals in question were related in collateral affinity to the second degree. The Court found that the annulment of the applicants’ marriage had disproportionately restricted their right to marry to such an extent that the very essence of that right had been impaired. Den Rest des Beitrags lesen »

The applicants, Georgios Theodorou and Sophia Tsotsorou, are Greek nationals who were born in 1951 and 1957 respectively. They live in Koropi (Greece). The case concerns a judicial decision annulling the applicants’ – religious – marriage. Den Rest des Beitrags lesen »