30
JALLOH v. GERMANY JUDGMENT
himself. Similarly, in J.B. v. Switzerland (cited above, §§ 63-71) the Court
considered the State authorities’ attempt to compel the applicant to submit
documents which might have provided information about tax evasion to be
in breach of the principle against self-incrimination (in its broader sense).
112. In Saunders, the Court considered that the principle against selfincrimination did not cover “material which may be obtained from the
accused through the use of compulsory powers but which has an existence
independent of the will of the suspect such as, inter alia, documents
acquired pursuant to a warrant, breath, blood and urine samples and bodily
tissue for the purpose of DNA testing” (cited above, § 69).
113. In the Court’s view, the evidence in issue in the present case,
namely, drugs hidden in the applicant’s body which were obtained by the
forcible administration of emetics, could be considered to fall into the
category of material having an existence independent of the will of the
suspect, the use of which is generally not prohibited in criminal
proceedings. However, there are several elements which distinguish the
present case from the examples listed in Saunders. Firstly, as with the
impugned measures in Funke and J.B. v. Switzerland, the administration of
emetics was used to retrieve real evidence in defiance of the applicant’s
will. Conversely, the bodily material listed in Saunders concerned material
obtained by coercion for forensic examination with a view to detecting, for
example, the presence of alcohol or drugs.
114. Secondly, the degree of force used in the present case differs
significantly from the degree of compulsion normally required to obtain the
types of material referred to in the Saunders case. To obtain such material, a
defendant is requested to endure passively a minor interference with his
physical integrity (for example when blood or hair samples or bodily tissue
are taken). Even if the defendant’s active participation is required, it can be
seen from Saunders that this concerns material produced by the normal
functioning of the body (such as, for example, breath, urine or voice
samples). In contrast, compelling the applicant in the instant case to
regurgitate the evidence sought required the forcible introduction of a tube
through his nose and the administration of a substance so as to provoke a
pathological reaction in his body. As noted earlier, this procedure was not
without risk to the applicant’s health.
115. Thirdly, the evidence in the present case was obtained by means of
a procedure which violated Article 3. The procedure used in the applicant’s
case is in striking contrast to procedures for obtaining, for example, a breath
test or a blood sample. Procedures of the latter kind do not, unless in
exceptional circumstances, attain the minimum level of severity to
contravene Article 3. Moreover, though constituting an interference with the
suspect’s right to respect for private life, these procedures are, in general,
justified under Article 8 § 2 as being necessary for the prevention of
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