Chilling Effect as a European Court of Human Rights’ Concept in Media Law Cases

Abstract

In few of the many cases where the European Court of Human Rights has found a violation of Article 10, the Court has simultaneously stated that a specific restriction or sanction has an actual or a potential chilling effect for press freedom. The Article examines by way of the Court’s case law the notion of ‘chilling effect’. It is concluded that ‘chilling effect’ is a strong notion reserved for cases where something genuine is at stake. The notion points beyond the case at hand and has a negative impact on the applicant’s future task or – in its most severe form – a negative impact on the press as such to the outmost detriment of the public debate, the control of the establishment, and, thereby, to the impairment of society as a whole.