14th Annual Conference on 'The Individual vs. the State' at Central European University, Budapest May 12-13, 2006

The Lobby Act adopted by the Hungarian Parliament the 23rd of February (by simple majority of MPs present) contains several discriminatory regulations towards civil non-profit organisations. The Parliament ignored the protest of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union and another twenty-one civil organisations against the draft Lobby Act. The bill of the lobbying activity was accepted without any amendments relating to the participation of non-profit civil organisations in lobbying activity.

The Capital Court of Appeal has made a decision on 20 April about the lawsuit of Energy Club and National Atomic Energy Agency’s Nuclear Safety Directorate (NAEA-NSD) in the second instance court. The judiciary overruled the judgement of the first instance court and ordered to initiate a new proceeding. In the lawsuit HCLU represents the suitor. The appeal does not lie against this decision which is, though favourable, still does not result the access to the demanded data.

HCLU was disappointing to learn that the police have put off the demonstration of the Amnesty International without prohibitive order and legitimate base. The demonstration was announced in time – as the law of assembly requires.

The Metropolitan Court did not deliver its decision on appeal today in the lawsuit between Energy Club and the National Atomic Energy Agency’s Nuclear Safety Directorate (NAEA-NSD). The public still does not have access to the information on the expert opinions on the damage reduction process of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

On March 3rd the Central District Court of Pest reached the verdict in the Centrum Group case. The “squatters” were represented by Levente Baltay, lawyer at Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU).

The Metropolitan Appellate Court (Fővárosi Ítélőtábla) delivered its final judgment on appeal in the case against the Hungarian Official Gazette on March 2, 2006. The appellate court changed the verdict of the court of the first instance in favor of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU).

Disappointing news for those who believe in the freedom of expressing opinion: On February 15, 2006 the Court of Pest County (Pest Megyei Bíróság) delivered its final judgment about the two activists of MIEP- Jobbik for holding an unannounced press conference in front of the Ministry of the Interior last summer.

Péter György represented by András Schiffer, lawyer of the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) won the lawsuit against Sándor Fábry in front of the court of the first instance. According to the court the statement made by Péter György – calling the showman racist and accusing him of showing hatred against gypsies - is “on the cutting edge of freedom of expression but it does not exceed its borders.”

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) acknowledges with content that the court already in two cases ruled against the police in the issue of whether the police had lawfully cancelled an event or not.

The Press Freedom Centre (Sajtószabadság Központ), The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU) and Protect the Future (Védegylet) demand the Government to revoke the T/18708 draft Act on protection of classified data submitted to the Parliament.

The Central District Court of Pest denied the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union's (HCLU) petition against Budapest Police Department (Budapesti Rendőr Főkapitányság) for the disclosure of the data of public interest regarding the camera systems installed in several districts of Budapest.