It is ironic that Ministers of Justice of the 46 Council of Europe (CoE) member states convened on International Human Rights Day to discuss how they might reduce the scope of their obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Rather than a much-needed discussion about the effectiveness of the system, for the first time in…

Introduction  If a week is a long time in politics, then two years is an eternity for the Council of Europe. At the Reykjavik summit in May 2023, European leaders across the political spectrum reaffirmed their “unwavering commitment” to the European Convention on Human Rights as a mechanism to promote peace and stability and the…

Could the Council of Europe (CoE) have done more to confront the belligerence, backsliding and bad faith that culminated in Russia’s expulsion? Judge Pavli’s remarkable separate opinion in the case of Novaya Gazeta has ignited debate about this question in respect of the European Court of Human Rights, asking whether, in adjudicating case-by-case and often…