ABSTRACT

In France, the defence of the French Government before the Strasbourg Court is provided by the sub-department of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The amounts due are then subject to a payment order issued by the Ministry of Justice to the Paymaster General of the Treasury, who shall review and close the file according to the rules of public accounting. The Court found a violation of Article 7 of the issue of imprisonment for debt. It awarded the applicant the sum of 50,000 francs for costs and expenses which was seized by the Customs Administration. The principle of the rule of law leads to the conclusion that the execution of a judgment is a component of the right to a fair trial and it is valid for any jurisdiction, even for the European Court. The enforcement of its judgments represents, “the cornerstone and the most basic aspect of the effectiveness of the European system of protection of Human Rights”.