European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber refines ne bis in idem principle in Portugal; no ne bis in idem violation
European Court of Human Rights Refines Ne Bis in Idem Principle
Briefing - 29. Juli 2026
Speaking Engagement - 6. Juli 2026
Publication - 24. Juni 2026
Juli 2026 | Briefing European Court of Human Rights Refines Ne Bis in Idem Principle 29. Juli 2026 | Briefing European Court of Human Rights Refines Ne Bis in Idem Principle In a judgment of 9 July 2026 (Jesus Pinhal v. Portugal, No. 48047 20), the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights refined in two important respects the ne bis in idem principle under Article 4 of Protocol No. 7. First, the Court tightened the idem criterion: identity of facts now requires that the material facts be identical – mere similarity no longer suffices. Second, the Court confirmed and clarified the “integrated system” approach from A and B v. Norway, holding that parallel criminal and administrative proceedings leading to sanctions of a criminal nature remain permissible where proceedings form a coherent whole. Applying these principles to the case at hand – where a former Vice-Chairman of Banco Comercial Português faced criminal proceedings and parallel administrative proceedings before the Bank of Portugal and the Securities Market Commission – the Court held, by fifteen votes to two, that there was no violation of ne bis in idem. Applying these principles to the case at hand – where a former Vice-Chairman of Banco Comercial Português faced criminal proceedings and parallel administrative proceedings before the Bank of Portugal and the Securities Market Commission – the Court held, by fifteen votes to two, that there was no violation of ne bis in idem.