Pieter Dirck G. CABOOR Attaché – in-house legal counsel Legal Department of the Belgian House of Representatives Brussels – 8 November 2007 « Parliament

Pieter Dirck G. CABOORAttaché – in-house legal counsel

Legal Department of the Belgian House of Representatives

Brussels – 8 November 2007

ECPRD-seminar

« « Parliament & JudiciaryParliament & Judiciary » »

Search and seizureSearch and seizureon Parliament’s premiseson Parliament’s premises

– introductory analysis –




ECPRD-seminar


3ECPRD-seminar "Parliament & Judiciary" - Analysis - Pieter Dirck G. CABOOR

Search and seizure on Parliament’s premisesSearch and seizure on Parliament’s premises

• Area of tension– Parliamentary autonomy– General legal principles

• Crossing– Criminal law (search and seizure)– Public law (Parliament’s premises)



• Questionnaires– Can a search or a seizure be carried out in the

precincts of a parliamentary assembly?– Against whom can such acts be carried out?– What are the procedural guarantees?



N o t p os s ib le

N o t p os s ib le

N o(g e n e ra l la w )

Y e s

S p e cif ic re g u la tion

P o s s ib le

A g a ins t a s se m b ly

N o t p os s ib le


Y e s


P o s s ib le

A g a ins t M P s

N o t p os s ib le


Y e s


P o s s ib le

A g a in s t o th e rs

P o s s ib le

S e a rch & S e iz u re in pa rlia m e n ta ry p rec in c ts



• S+S on Parliament’s premises– Majority: yes → few precedents, however– Small minority: no



• S+S against Parliament itself– Majority: no– Small minority: yes → legal personality



• S+S against MPs– Yes– Restrictions



• Legal framework– General law– Special protection for MPs

• Often• But not always

– Specific regulation

! Few precedents ! → hesitation



• Procedural guarantees– General legal requirements, e.g. court order– Additional procedural guarantees

• E.g. authorisation or presence of the assembly’s president

• Due to specific parliamentary framework?



• Preliminary conclusion– Search and seizure on Parliament’s premises

• General legal principles• Specific protective measures towards MPs

– Parliament’s premises: additional requirements– Absence / existence of only a few precedents– Area of tension?




ECPRD-seminar


Documents

Pieter Dirck G. CABOOR Attaché – in-house legal counsel Legal Department of the Belgian House of Representatives Brussels – 8 November 2007 « Parliament