The fragility of human rights in times of rule of law erosion: The case of judicial independence in America and Europe

• Sanz Caballero, Susana ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera

     Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera

     Valencia, España

     
• Localización: Cuadernos europeos de Deusto, ISSN 1130-8354, Nº 74, 2026 (Ejemplar dedicado a: Human rights in the digital age: the European challenge), págs. 29-58
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.18543/ced.3482
• Títulos paralelos:
  • La fragilidad de los derechos humanos en tiempos de erosión del estado de derecho. El caso de la independencia judicial en América y Europa
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen
  • español

    El artículo muestra la existencia de una relación directa y existencial entre los derechos humanos y el Estado de Derecho, pues unos no pueden existir sin el otro y viceversa. Para ello, el artículo revisa primero la evolución histórica de la protección de los derechos humanos y el Estado de Derecho tanto en EE. UU. como en la UE, destacando las normas y documentos internacionales en los que se han recogido, para, posteriormente, tomar como caso de estudio la independencia judicial. El artículo pasa revista a los derechos humanos que quedan desprotegidos cuando los Estados violan la independencia judicial, poniendo el foco en los indultos y amnistías y en el acoso a jueces y la desobediencia de sentencias, tanto en EE. UU. como en la Unión.

    Recibido: 19 enero 2026 Aceptado: 9 febrero 2026

  • English

    The article highlights the existence of a direct and existential relationship between human rights and the rule of law, insofar as one cannot exist without the other, and vice versa. To this end, it first reviews the historical evolution of the protection of human rights and the rule of law in both the United States and the European Union, emphasizing the international legal norms and documents in which they have been enshrined. It then takes judicial independence as a case study. The article examines the human rights that become unprotected when states undermine judicial independence, focusing on pardons and amnesties, as well as on the harassment of judges and the non-compliance with judicial decisions, in both the United States and the European Union.

    Received: 19 January 2026 Accepted: 9 February 2026

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