CEDH · CASELAW;CLIN;ENG — 22 novembre 1995

.s3ABFC313 { font-size:10pt } .sD4B5322E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; text-align:justify } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .sA241FE93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:18pt; text-align:justify; page-break-after:avoid; border-bottom:0.75pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .s2EF62ED2 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; font-size:12pt } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .s8F2B0B1B { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:12pt; page-break-after:avoid; font-size:12pt } .s9FF10068 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:12pt } .sEB86A30B { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:14pt; page-break-after:avoid } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } .s5F48796F { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:justify } .s8B6C6D43 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; border-bottom:1pt solid #000000; padding-bottom:1pt } .sDF790F1E { margin-top:12pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } Information Note on the Court’s case-law No. November 1995 S.W. v. the United Kingdom - 20166/92 Judgment 22.11.1995 Article 7 Article 7-1 Nulla poena sine lege Nullum crimen sine lege Conviction of man for rape of wife: no violation [This summary is extracted from the Court’s official reports (Series A or Reports of Judgments and Decisions). Its formatting and structure may therefore differ from the Case-Law Information Note summaries.] Article 7 should be construed and applied, as follows from its object and purpose, so as to provide effective safeguards against arbitrary prosecution, conviction and punishment – progressive development of criminal law through judicial interpretation, elucidation, and adaptation to changing circumstances not contrary to Article   7, provided consistent with essence of offence and reasonably foreseeable. By following the Court of Appeal's ruling in R. v. R. in applicant's case Crown Court did not render decision incompatible with Article   7 – that ruling dismantling marital immunity for rape continued line of case-law development consistent with essence of offence of rape as defined by section 1   (1)   (a) Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1976 – law had reached stage where judicial recognition of absence of immunity reasonably foreseeable. Essentially debasing character of rape so manifest that conviction for rape of wife not at variance with object and purpose of Article   7 – abandonment of marital immunity conforms with civilised concept of marriage and fundamental objectives of Convention, respect for human dignity and freedom. Conclusion : no violation (unanimously).   © Council of Europe/European Court of Human Rights This summary by the Registry does not bind the Court. Click here for the Case-Law Information Notes