CONSTITUTION COURT ANNULS THREE ARTICLES OF INTERIOR AFFAIRS ACT

ZAGREB, Feb 23 (Hina) - The Croatian Constitutional Court on Wednesday annulled three articles of the Law on Interior Affairs at the request of a number of interested parties. According to Article 18 of the Law on Interior Affairs, the Interior Minister can, when he deems it necessary for national security, order that measures departing from the principle of secrecy of correspondence and other means of communication be taken against certain physical and legal entities, and inform the President of the Republic about it in the shortest possible time. The Court annulled the regulation because it believes that the legislator, who is authorised by the Constitution and the Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Basic Freedoms to restrict human rights and liberties, has not envisaged a single situation or circumstance in which it would be necessary to protect national security by violating human rights. Also, the Court believes that not a single criterion has been envisaged according to which the minister could or would have to assess the necessity of a certain measure for the country's security. The Court also annulled regulations which envisage the construction of shelters by investors into housing and business facilities but also include cases in which certain investors are freed from this obligation. According to the Court, investors are treated unequally in these regulations. (hina) mm rml