Keywords
ECtHR
Internet
right to information
How to Cite
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study entails the examination of the rights of prisoners to use and access the Internet, based on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights. A further objective of the study is to analyse the fundamental rights aspects of Internet access, in particular in the framework of the relevant EU law, and to interpret the phenomenon of the digital divide in relation to prisoners.
Methodology: The study is primarily based on the review of the pertaining literature and legal materials. In addition, three case studies are included in the research, inter alia to allow the findings of the literature to be interpreted in the context of jurisdiction.
Findings: The research concludes that prisoners’ access to the Internet should be studied in accordance with fundamental rights, including Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights. With regard to the digital divide, it is concluded that restricting prisoners’ access to the Internet may lead to the expansion of the digital divide, potentially hampering prisoners’ reintegration. Also of particular relevance to the findings is the demonstration that the polemics surrounding prisoners’ right of access to the Internet can be localised at a territorial level – in particular, the Baltic States and Turkey are affected.
Value: The study is a useful contribution to the literature on the digital divide in Hungary, especially to the legal reception of the phenomenon. The study’s approach, combining theory and practice, is useful both for domestic legal practitioners and for researchers conducting interdisciplinary research on EU law and fundamental rights.
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