Reform of the European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights faces an exponential growth in the number of individual applications. This poses a serious risk for the effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) control system. Political recognition of this problem was expressed at the European Ministerial Conference on Human Rights (Rome, 3-4 November 2000), after which a reflection process on means of guaranteeing the continued effectiveness of the Court was launched within the Council of Europe. This process is completed by the adoption of Protocol N° 14 to the ECHR.

The process of the reform : 2001-2004

Instruments adopted in May 2004

Follow-up of the reform: developments since 2004

Publications