Elected Judge
Under False Pretences
Free release
Falsified Information in Application of Newly Appointed Human Rights Judge
State Prosecutor Päivi
Hirvelä was elected in June to represent Finland
on the bench of the European Court of Human Rights.
Already at the nomination stage, experts were astonished due to the fact that
her career has never appertained to issues of Human Rights.
In
her application, Hirvelä claims to having had
nine-years experience as a judge. This is not so.
According to her curriculum vitae, Hirvelä has
worked as a judge in thirty-two short periods which amount to two years two
months and three weeks - only slightly more than the requisite of one year
sitting as a judge in order to qualify for title Master of Law.
Hirvelä’s
longest working relationship (1990-1996) has been as a public
prosecutor for the City of
Lahti. From
February 1999 Hirvelä
worked as State Prosecutor, two years of which she has taken a leave of absence.
In the 1980s she was employed as a referendary for
Koivula Court of Appeal and worked for various
stints for a period of slightly less than eight years.
Hirvelä’s
1997 -published dissertation on the child in the criminal process is her
greatest merit. This, her only publication,should
have become a docotoral thesis but thus far is
incomplete.
Finland presented three candidates from which the Council
of Europe chose one. Hirvelä received 78 votes,
Supreme Court Judge Gustaf
Möller 55 and
Åbo
Akademi
University’s Martin Scheinin 11 votes.
Of
those put forward, the candidate with the most extensive experience as a judge
was Möller who is our most nationally renowned
lawyer????? Professor
Scheinin is Finland’s most qualified human rights
lawyer i.e. his competence is precisely in the field of the European Court of
Human Rights. Compared to Hirvelä,
Möller and Scheinin were
undoubtably far superior candidates.
In
all, 8 lawyers applied for the post of judge at the European Court of Human
Rights.
A
list of the three proposed candidates was put forward by Irma
Ertman – Director General of the Legal
Department for the Foreign Ministry,
Kirsti Rissanen the
Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Justice, Paavo
Nikola Chancellor of Justice of the Council of
State, Pekka Hallberg
the President of the Supreme Administrative Court and
Pauliine Koskelo the President of the
KKO. The matter was decided by
Erkki Tuomioja
the Foreign Minister.
Doc.
10942
1(3)
21 February 2006
CURRICULUM VITAE
Family name Hirvelä
First names Päivi
Maarit
Sex Female
Date of birth 10 December 1954
Place of birth Rovaniemi,
Finland
Nationality Finnish
Title State Prosecutor
Organisation Office of the Prosecutor General
Education and academic
qualifications
Licentiate of Laws, University of Helsinki, Finland, 1997 Court training,
District Court of Lapland, 1980 Master of Laws, University of Helsinki, Finland,
1980, Matriculation examination at Rovaniemi High
School, Finland, 1975
Relevant professional activities
Judicial activities International
positions held:
Lawyer, the European Court of Human Rights (18 June – 31 December 2001, on leave
from the Office of the Prosecutor General)
Exchange prosecutor in Sweden (1 April – 30 June 1999, on leave from the Office
of the Prosecutor General)
Doc.
10942 2.
Domestic positions held:
Judge for a total of 9 years,
prosecutor for 16 years State Prosecutor, Office of The Prosecutor General (1
February 1999 - )
District Prosecutor, Lahti Prosecutor’s Office (1
September 1990 – 31 January 1999)
Assistant Judge of the Court of Appeal, Kouvola
Court of Appeal (1 August 1982 – 31 August 1990)
Referendary, Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman
(14 September 1998 – 31 January 1999, ancillary job)
District Judge, Lahti District Court (1 October 1994
– 31 December 1995, on leave from the District Prosecutor’s Office)
District Judge, Orimattila District Court (1
February – 31 May 1990, on leave from the Court of Appeal)
District Prosecutor, Lahti Prosecutor’s Office (1
January 1986 – 4 April 1988, on leave from the Court of Appeal)
District Judge, Lahti District Court (1982 - 1986
many periods, ancillary job)
Legal Aid Counsel in Lahti (1 June – 31 August 1982)
Legal Aid Counsel in Sodankylä (12 November 1981 –
28 February 1982)
Rural Police Chief, Kolari Police District (22 May –
21 June 1980)
b. Non-judicial legal activities
Assistant in Criminal and Procedural Law, University of Helsinki, Faculty of Law
(1 July 1996 – 31 March 1997, on leave
from the District Prosecutor’s Office)
Researcher, University of Helsinki (1 January – 30 June 1996, on leave from the
District Prosecutor’s Office)
Research Assistant, The National Research Institute of Legal Policy (28 August –
21 November 1980)
Activities and experience in the
field of human rights
Public office
Member of a working group set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
tasked with regulations concerning the Mental Health Act: those concerning
criminal patients in the Penal Code (2005 – 2006).
Board member of the National Research Institute of Legal Policy 2004 -
Member of a working group set up by the Ministry of Justice tasked, based on
international obligations, with preparing penal provisions in respect of
trafficking in human beings, the sexual abuse of children, child pornography and
illegal immigration (2002 – 2003).
Member of an expert working group set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs and
Health to develop the practice to uncover offences against children (2001 –
2003). Member of a working group set up by the Ministry of Justice tasked with
assessing the use of video hearings in courts of law in the case of intimidated
witnesses (2003).
Doc. 10942
3.
Member of
a working group that focused on the arrangement of prosecutors’ basic training
(2000 –2001).
Member of the crime prevention committee set up by the Ministry of Justice (1999
–2002).
Member of a working group tasked with the revision of the legislation on the
execution of sentences to social service and the tasks of Probation Services
(1998 – 1999).
Teaching work in the field of criminal procedure for prosecutors and other
government organisations.
Publications
A book ISBN 951-670-003-9: A Child in Criminal Proceedings
An article, the Journal of the Finnish Lawyers’ Association, vol. 95, 1997
number 7: A Child in Criminal Proceedings – Evidence Problems in Incest Cases
Currently in the process of writing my doctoral thesis with the title: Criminal
Process in Sexual Crimes against Children. The Actualization of The Human and
Basic Rights of a Child’s Integrity in a Legal Process”. Opponents assigned for
doctoral thesis on 23 February 2006.
I confirm that I will take up permanent residence in Strasbourg if elected a
judge on the Court.
Helsinki
21.2.2006
(Signed)
Päivi Hirvelä
Human Rights of Finland (HRF) is
dedicated to protecting the Human Rights of Finnish people.
Join a Human Rights of Finland
Organization!
