On Friday 25 April 10:00-11:30 CEST, the Campaign to Uphold Rights in Europe (CURE) is hosting an event on the recently published book entitled 'Russia, the Council of Europe and the European Convention on Human Rights: A Troubled Membership and Its Legacy'. This book, published in February this year, was authored by Ed Bates (University of Leicester), Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou (University of Liverpool) and Andrew Forde (Dublin City University). During the event, the authors will be discussing the relationship between the CoE and Russia, Russia's ultimate expulsion from the CoE and the legacy thereof. The event will take place online.
Here is a description of the event:
Registrations for the event can be submitted here until 21 April 2025.
Candan Yilmaz of the University of Groningen has published the book Sentencing Mentally Disordered Offenders: comparing provisions in Türkiye, England and Wales, and the Netherlands to the ECHR framework with Groningen University Press. The book, based on her PhD dissertation, is available to everyone open access. This is the summary:
'This publication offers a unique comparative analysis of the sentencing of mentally disordered offenders in Türkiye, England and Wales, and the Netherlands, exploring the alignment of these systems with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). While the presence of mental disorders impacts criminal responsibility, the legal responses and practices differ significantly across jurisdictions.
The complex sanctioning system in Türkiye faced substantial challenges due to the absence of secure forensic psychiatric facilities until 2018. Despite legal mandates, mentally disordered offenders were often either released or unlawfully detained in prisons, creating a prolonged gap between law and practice. The research highlights how the situation evolved and assesses the lingering issues, which were exacerbated by delays during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to contextualize the criminal justice system of Türkiye, comparisons are drawn with the criminal justice systems of the Netherlands and England and Wales, two jurisdictions which have distinct and unique frameworks for mentally disordered offenders. The eminent TBS (terbeschikkingstelling) system of the Netherlands and the bifurcated sentencing approach in England and Wales provide valuable points of reference.
This publication is of significance in the field of legal academic literature given the paucity of research on the Turkish criminal justice system, carried out in languages other than Turkish. It evaluates the degree to which these systems adhere to or deviate from ECHR standards, thereby providing insights that facilitate improved compliance with human rights requirements. By bridging comparative legal traditions and identifying best practices, this research holds significant societal and academic relevance.'
On 15 and 16 May 2025, the Faculty of Law of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the School of Law and Social Justice of the University of Liverpool, and the journals Lex & Forum and the ECHR Law Review are co-organizing a workshop entitled 'EU Accession to the ECHR: Procedural Hurdles and Prospects Before the ECtHR'. The workshop will take place in Thessaloniki in Greece, with the first day being organized in a hybrid format. The workshop will focus on the implications of the EU's accession to the ECHR. This is the description of the workshop:
'In 2023, a new Draft Accession Agreement (DAA) was finalised, raising hopes that the EU will finally accede to the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). This development promises significant benefits, including enhanced access to justice for victims of human rights violations and greater accountability, as the EU will come under the scrutiny of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). However, the accession remains a highly complex endeavour. While much scholarship has examined the structural features of the DAA, particularly the new framework designed to accommodate the EU as a unique international legal entity, little attention has been given to the procedural implications. This workshop seeks to address this gap, focusing on select procedural hurdles and prospects pertaining to litigation before the ECtHR and the enforcement of judgments after accession. Over two days, scholars and practitioners will explore these crucial yet overlooked dimensions of the EU accession to the ECHR.'
The full programme and more detailed information can be found here.
A link to the registration form can be found here.
On Thursday 24 April from 09:00 to 13:00, the European Society of International Law (ESIL) and the European Court of Human Rights are co-organizing a workshop entitled 'Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights: New Horizons in European Legal Protection'. The conference will focus on human rights protection in Europe in the age of artificial intelligence. This is the description of the event:
'In an era of unprecedented technological transformation, artificial
intelligence stands at the critical intersection of innovation and human
dignity. As AI systems increasingly penetrate the most intimate spheres
of human experience—adjudicating rights, mediating social interactions,
and reshaping individual autonomy—international legal institutions face
an existential challenge: How do we preserve the fundamental
principles of human rights in a landscape increasingly governed by
algorithmic logic?
This conference represents a pivotal moment of collective reflection by
key legal academics and international judges. We stand at a watershed
where technological capability must be harmonized with ethical
imperatives, where the abstract principles of human rights must be
translated into concrete protections against the potential
depersonalization of technological systems. Our goal transcends mere
academic discourse; we seek to construct a normative framework that
anticipates and mitigates the profound human rights challenges
emerging from AI's rapid evolution.
By bringing together the judicial wisdom of the European Court of
Human Rights and the scholarly depth of international legal experts,
we aspire to develop a sophisticated, forward-looking approach that:
- Recognizes AI as a dynamic field requiring adaptive legal
interpretation
- Preserves human agency and individual dignity in technological
ecosystems
- Considers anticipatory legal mechanisms that protect fundamental
rights
- Establishes international collaborative standards for responsible AI C
governance'
The progamme can be found here. Registration is mandatory and can be submitted here.
It's been out for a couple of months, but still important to highlight: Ronagh McQuigg of Queen’s University Belfast has published the book 'Domestic Abuse and the European Court of Human Rights' with Routledge Publishing. This is the abstract:
'This book provides a detailed critical analysis of the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights on domestic abuse. Such abuse affects vast numbers of people throughout all nations of the world. Although it was not until 2007 that domestic abuse was considered substantively by the European Court of Human Rights, it has now been established that such abuse can constitute a violation of the right to life under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights; the right to be free from torture or inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 3; the right to respect for private and family life under Article 8; and the prohibition of discrimination under Article 14. The book analyses how conceptualisations of domestic abuse in the Court's jurisprudence have evolved, for example, in relation to a more consistent use of Article 3 in such cases, a recognition of coercive control, and the framing of domestic abuse as gender-based discrimination. It also explores the development of the Court's understanding of domestic abuse, for example, as regards to how the ‘Osman test’ should be applied in this context. Additionally, the book discusses the Court's approach to issues such as cyber violence and child contact in the context of domestic abuse. The book will appeal to academics and researchers from a wide variety of disciplines, such as criminal law, criminology, social policy, human rights, family law, gender studies and sociology, as well as practitioners and those in the voluntary sector who are working in the area of combating domestic abuse. The book could also be used beneficially on courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels which incorporate the topic of domestic abuse.'
The University of Strasbourg, the Fondation René Cassin and the European Court of Human Rights are co-organising an international conference in their home city on 14 March. The conference is entitled 'The European Convention on Human Rights as a Living Instrument'. This is the programme which can also be found here:
9:00 – 9:30 Welcoming Address:
Professor Jeanne-Marie Tuffery-Andrieu, Dean of the Law Faculty
President Marko Bošnjak, President of the European Court of Human Rights
Professor Sébastien Touzé, Director of the René Cassin Foundation
Professor Peggy Ducoulombier, Deputy Director of IRCM
9:30 – 10:40 Panel 1: The European Convention on Human Rights as an International Legal Instrument
Moderator: Ivana Jelić, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights
Keynote speaker: Professor Dapo Akande, Chichele Professor of Public International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oxford, member of the UN International Law Commission
View from the University: Ledi Bianku, Associate Professor University of Strasbourg, former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights
View from the Bench: Mykola Gnatovskyy, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights
Q&A session
10:40 – 10:50 Break
10:50 – 12:00 Panel 2: The limits of the living instrument doctrine
Moderator: Professor Florence Benoît-Rohmer, Emeritus Professor, University of Strasbourg
Keynote speaker: Professor Hellen Keller, Chair for Public Law, European and Public International Law at the University of Zurich, former Judge of the European Court of Human Rights
View from the University: Professor Peggy Ducoulombier, University of Strasbourg
View from the Bench: Darian Pavli, Judge of the European court of Human Rights
Q&A session
12:00 – 12:30 Concluding remarks:
Professor Emmanuel Decaux, President of the René Cassin Foundation
Professor Patrick Wachsmann, Emeritus Professor, University of Strasbourg
On 27 February 2025, a public conference will be organized on the Court's Knowledge Sharing Platform (ECHR-KS). This conference will be part of an event to launch the new language versions of the platform (Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian). During the conference speakers will explain how users (legal professionals, academics and journalists) can best navigate through the platform.
The ECHR-KS platform was developed by the Registry. On the platform, up-to-date data and analyses of developments in the Court's case-law through specific Convention Articles/Transversal Themes are shared. The platform thereby complements other sources for the Court's case-law such as HUDOC.
This is a description of the event:
'To mark the occasion of the launch of the new language versions of the European Court’s Knowledge
Sharing platform, the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe
and the Court will hold a high-level conference. The morning session will include contributions from,
among others, Elisabeth Margue, Minister of Justice of Luxembourg; Alain Berset, Secretary General
of the Council of Europe; Marko Bošnjak, President of the European Court of Human Rights;
Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the European Court of Human Rights; Gianluca Esposito, Director
General of Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe; Stanislav Kravchenko, President
of the Supreme Court of Ukraine; Radu Marinescu, Minister of Justice of Romania; and Niyazi Acar,
Deputy Minister of Justice of Türkiye.
The afternoon session, which begins at 2 p.m. until 4.20 p.m. CET on 27 February 2025, will be open
to the public to access online. Speakers will focus on the Knowledge Sharing platform – the Court’s
tool for disseminating case-law knowledge and widening understanding of the Court’s jurisprudence
among the public, which complements the Court’s HUDOC database. In particular, speakers will
explain how to use the Knowledge Sharing platform effectively to understand better the case-law of
the Court, and how the new language versions were developed.'
Registrations for online participation in the conference can be submitted here.
'In March 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe after 26 years as a member.
This timely and in-depth analysis explores Russia's tumultuous relationship with the Council of Europe and European Court of Human Rights. It examines Russia’s membership record and the profound impacts of its expulsion for Europe’s human rights system. The authors provide valuable insights for future policy to safeguard the integrity of international human rights institutions.
The book fills an important gap in legal scholarship by exploring the legality and legitimacy of Russia’s membership and expulsion, and represents a key reference in understanding the challenge of protecting human rights in the face of rising authoritarianism.'
Justin Krahé (PhD from Heidelberg University) has just published a monograph entitled 'Legal Services and the European Convention on Human Rights: Securing Private Rights and Public Interests'. The monograph focuses on the question of how the ECtHR deals with the interplay between private and public interests, interests that are both advanced by the provision of legal services. The book was published open access by Nomos. This is the absract:
'Legal advice and representation are preconditions for human rights protection and the rule of law. But how are legal services secured in international law? This volume critically analyses the protection provided by the European Court of Human Rights’ case law, revealing practical and theoretical problems. It suggests that these can be resolved by recognising that, in addition to protecting individuals’ interests, the European Convention on Human Rights imposes an obligation on States to ensure a functioning legal services sector. Beyond the example of legal services, the study thus uncovers a further “constitutional” dimension to the Convention: its ability to create obligations on the States to protect public interests.'
On 11 February 2025 Utrecht University's free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the ECHR will start again! Registration is open now. To enroll, please go to the Coursera platform.
The MOOC entitled 'Human Rights for Open Societies - An introduction into the ECHR' is taught by my Utrecht University colleagues professor Antoine Buyse and professor Janneke Gerards. This is the description of our six-week course:
'Human rights are under pressure in many places across the globe. Peaceful protests are violently quashed. Voting is tampered with. And minorities are often excluded from decision-making. All of this threatens the ideal of an open society in which each of us can be free and participate equally. A solid protection of human rights is needed for an open society to exist and to flourish. But it is often an uphill battle to work towards that ideal. Equip yourself and learn more about what human rights are and how they work.
In this course, we will introduce you to one of the world’s most intricate human rights systems: the European Convention on Human Rights. You will see when and how people can turn to the European Court of Human Rights to complain about human rights violations. You will learn how the Court tries to solve many of the difficult human rights dilemmas of today. We will look, amongst other things, at the freedom of expression and demonstration, the right to vote, and the prohibition of discrimination. And we will address the rights of migrants, refugees, and other vulnerable groups. And, of course, we will see whether it is possible to restrict rights and if so under what conditions. You will even encounter watchdogs and ice cream in this course. We invite you to follow us on a journey of discovery into the European Convention!'
Please watch this short introduction video to get an impression:
.png)
