JUDGMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS V. THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA ON THE APPLICATION OF GENETIC TESTING IN PATERNITY LITIGATION

Abstract

The case law of the European Court of Human Rights is of great importance for the formulation of human rights standards as it applies the European Convention on Human Rights by interpreting the prescribed rights and freedoms taking into account social reality and legal regulation in Council of Europe member states. When joining this political organization the Republic of Serbia carried out the procedures of adjusting the legislation to the convention requirements, so that, in normative sense, Serbian family law systematically follows modern standards of human rights protection. The decisions of the Court in cases in which the issues of establishing paternity was applied by DNA analysis are conditioned by the circumstances of each individual case. In this paper reasearch is devoted to the two judgments of the European Court of Human Rights versus Republic of Serbia on determining the origin of the child from the father judgements that have a family law in the narrow sense in which Court took the position that domestic legislation did not take into account the relevant elements of the case, the possibility to establish a balance of relevant interests when determing the identity of the biological father regarding DNA analysis. By definition genetic testing implies the analysis of one genome and its products, its function or DNA or chromosomal analysis aimed at identifying or contradicting certain facts. This method involves comparing the DNA profile of a child with DNA profile of the potential father by comparing locus – specific gene location or DNA region on chromosome – which differ in their structure and length, so that non-blood person have different structure of the molecule in each analyzed locus, while biological relatives have the same structure. This means that their DNA profiles have visible traces of genetic heritage. Although every person has a vital interest in finding out information that complete his/her own knowledge of his/her background it is important to know that third party protection can prevent him/herfrom being forced into medical testing of any kind, including DNA analysis. Member States have different solutions to deal with in cases where a potential father refuses to undergo tests necessary to establish facts of a biological origin. In some jurisdictions non-compliance with medical testing is sanctioned by monetary or imprisonment penalty, while in others it is for the failure to act on a warrant the court activates the presumption of paternity. When paternity cannot be determined by DNA analysis, Member States must provide the determination of paternity by alternative means of evidence taking into account the existence of a fair balance between the right to know the origin and the right of potential father not to undergo this type of medical expertise.