Basu v. Ger. and Muhammad v. Spain (Eur. Ct. H.R.)

Abstract

In two cases decided on October 18, 2022, the European Court of Human Rights issued judgments for the first time in complaints alleging racial profiling in police identity checks. The applicants in both cases alleged that the police had selected them for a check due to racial discrimination, and both argued that the state had failed to conduct an effective investigation in response to their complaints. In one case, a unanimous court found a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, but in the other case, a sharply divided court decided 4–3 that there was no violation. The cases raise serious questions about proof and evidence in racial profiling cases, as well as what policies and procedures would meet the state obligation to ensure an adequate legal framework to protect against racial discrimination.