A Critical Perspective on ECtHR Jurisprudence on Racial Profiling in Policing: Three Proposals to Ameliorate Victims’ Access to Justice

Authors

  • Anna Capellà i Ricart Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17561/tahrj.v27.10226

Keywords:

racial profiling in policing , anti-discrimination law , European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), Article 14 European Convention on Human Rights, Seydi and others v. France.

Abstract

In this article we undertake a critical analysis of the ECtHR jurisprudence regarding racial profiling in policing. The goal of the paper is to contribute to the discussion on ways to increase opportunities for access to justice for victims of racial profiling. Our proposals focus mainly on the following hypotheses: i) antidiscrimination law must clearly identify the social group that it aims to protect; ii) a “colour-blind” perspective of racial equality must be avoided to better define these cases; iii) courts must analyse, to determine whether racial profiling exists, police officers’ justification for the identity check process (not the existence of a racist attitude or motivation).

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CASE LAW

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Published

2026-07-06

Issue

Section

ARTICLES

How to Cite

Capellà i Ricart, A. (2026). A Critical Perspective on ECtHR Jurisprudence on Racial Profiling in Policing: Three Proposals to Ameliorate Victims’ Access to Justice. The Age of Human Rights Journal, 27, e10226. https://doi.org/10.17561/tahrj.v27.10226