The newspaper article title that reports a value judgment does not violate private and family life
JUDGMENT
Faludy-Kovács v. Hungary 23.01.2018 (no. 20487/13)
SUMMARY
Title of a newspaper article referring to the widow of a well-known Hungarian poet. The article was titled “Trampling on the Memory of Faludy. The widow does everything to the forefront. ” The title contained a value judgment rather than statement of facts. No violation of the applicant’s right to respect for the private and family life.
PROVISION
Article 8
PRINCIPAL FACTS
The applicant, Katalin Fatime Faludy-Kovács, is a Hungarian national who was born in 1975 and lives in Budapest.
The case concerned her complaint that the Hungarian courts had refused to award her compensation for damage to her reputation after she had brought legal action over a newspaper headline.
In 2008 a newspaper published an article about the applicant, the widow of György Faludy, who was a well-known poet, and her family plans, which involved other relatives of her late husband. She began court proceedings over the headline, which said “Trampling on the memory of Faludy. The widow does everything for the limelight”. Her damages claim was rejected in 2011 by the court of appeal, which found that the statement was a value judgment and not a statement of fact.
In her complaint she relied on Article 8 (right to respect for private and family life) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
THE DECISION OF THE COURT
No violation of Article 8(echrcaselaw.com editing).
