PRESS RELEASE.

Does The European Court of Human Rights approve corruption by approving a judge that has falsified her Curriculum Vitae?

Finland weakens the confidence in the European Court of Human Rights.

Finland endangers the human rights of 800 million Europeans of 46 nations.

The serious missconduct that has been uncovered in Finland regarding the election of Ms. Paivi Hirvela as judge to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) seriously weakens the confidence in the European Court of Human Rights.

A) The new judge appointed to the Court of Human Rights from Finland has falsified her Curriculum Vitae.

The Finnish stateprosecutor that has been elected to become a judge in the European Court of Human Rights starting 01.01.2007 has given falsified information in her Curriculum Vitae. In the CV that she has written when applying for the office she states that she has been a judge for 9 years. According to information that can be obtained from her official public workinghistory she has been a temporary judge for short periods of time for a total time of 2 years and 2 months at the most. Also other discrepencies have been documented. This is a proof of that she cannot have high moral character. Thus Ms Paivi Hirvela does not fulfil the Criteria for office according to Article 21 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

B) Finland has selected the candidates in a non-transparent, secret and illegal process. The selection did not fullfill the requirements set by the Parliamentary Assembly

The secret non-transparent selection of candidates in Finland did not fulfill the requirements of the Parliamentary Assembly. The selection of Paivi Hirvela as one of the candidates to be presented to the Parliamentary Assembly has not been legal according to the Finnish law. According to one member of the selection panel, President of the Supreme Court Ms. Pauliine Koskelo, there is no written document on how the selection panel was formed. She was invited to the panel by telephone. The selection process is kept secret.

The selection of Finnish candidates was done by those who are responsible for most violations of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Finland:

Chancellor of Justice Paavo Nikula
Supreme Court President Pauliine Koskelo
Supreme Administrative Court President Pekka Hallberg

Also present were:
Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice Kirsti Rissanen
Chief of the Juridical Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs Irma Ertman
Secretary from the Juridical Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs MS Camilla Busck-Nielsen

The Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Erkki Tuomioja, who did the official nomination of the three Finnish candidates to the Parliamentary Assembly and the members of the selection panel must have been aware of the falsified Curriculum Vitae of Ms. Päivi Hirvelä.

They all must also have been aware of the fact that:

- The selection process in Finland did not fullfil the requirements set by the Parliamentary Assembly The Recommendation 1649 (2004)1.

- The selection process has not been legal according to Finnish law. From the debate in the internet which has arosen on this subject it has been disclosed that this kind of selection of candidates has been used in Finland also earlier.

Prime Minister, Mr. Matti Vanhanen established a working group on 12th of Aug 2005 to make a recommendation on how to appoint persons to the international judge job vacancies. It got an extension to its allocated time so that is was possible to nominate Ms Paivi Hirvela in the old way.

The chairman of this working group has been Chancellor of Justice Mr. Paavo Nikula and one member Ms.Irma Ertman, Chief of the Juridical Department of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

More information can be obtained from the website:

http://www.promerit.net/english.pages.html

Comment Group

e-mail: promerit@hotmail.com

About Promerit:
An independent non-governmental organisation doing research on the corruption of the judicial system and public administration of Finland.