Podkolzina v. Latvia. App. No. 46726/99

Abstract

Podkolzinav. Latvia. App. No. 46726/99. At <http://www.echr.coe.int/Eng/Judgments.htm>. European Court of Human Rights, April 9, 2002.In Podkolzina v. Latvia, the European Court of Human Rights held that Latvia violated the applicant's right to stand as a candidate for parliamentary elections, as set out in Article 3 of Protocol No. I to the European Convention on Human Rights in striking the applicant off the list of registered candidates due to allegedly inadequate language skills. The Court ordered Latvia to pay 9,000 for nonpecuniary damages and for costs and expenses.The applicant, a member of the Russian-speaking minority in Latvia, acquired an official language certificate in January 1997. The certificate was issued by a regional board of the State Language Centre, composed of five examiners. On the basis of written and oral examinations that were evaluated in accordance with criteria and levels of competence defined by legal regulations, the five-member board certified that Podkolzina's command of the Latvian language corresponded to the “third level.”