September 18, 2026
By Katarzyna Widlas-Klimsiak How should the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR, the Court) reconcile, under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a State’s obligation to secure appropriate psychiatric care with the limits that autonomy and consent place on imposing such care? Three recent judgments illuminate different sides of this problem. In Spivak v […]
September 11, 2026
By Sophie Bols The ECtHR’s judgment in D.M. v Sweden has been well received by scholars and practitioners, alongside other recent migration-related judgments, in which the Court has issued well‑reasoned and protective decisions amid intense political contestation. The judgment provides important safeguards at a moment when several member states have begun deporting, or openly discussing […]
September 04, 2026
By Merel Spaander “Indeed, giving birth is a unique and delicate moment in a woman’s life. It encompasses issues of physical and moral integrity, medical care, reproductive health and the protection of health-related information,” stated the Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights in its assessment of C.P. v. Spain on 11 June 2026. […]
September 01, 2026
By Engin Firat Everyone is calling G.K. and A.S. v. Switzerland the vegan judgment. On 16 July 2026 the European Court of Human Rights held for the first time that dietary rules ‘dictated by genuine and consistently held vegan beliefs’ fall within the scope of Article 9 of the Convention, the freedom of thought, conscience […]
August 28, 2026
By Vesna Stefanovska On 7 July 2026, the European Court of Human Rights delivered its judgment in Al Nashiri v. Lithuania. The applicant had been detained for more than five months in a CIA detention facility in Lithuania, resulting in several Convention violations. In relation to Article 8, the Court found a violation on account […]
August 25, 2026
By Casper Vanspauwen On 30 June 2026, the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR decided to strike out the applications constituting the case of Vainik and Others v. Estonia. In doing so, the Court effectively annulled its earlier Chamber judgment of 4 November 2025, in which it had ruled in favour of the applicants by a […]
August 18, 2026
By Faraz Shahlaei In 2019, following Paris Saint-Germain’s controversial elimination from the UEFA Champions League against Manchester United, Neymar, PSG’s Brazilian football star, posted an Instagram story criticizing the referee’s decision to award a decisive penalty in the final minutes of the match. The story read: ‘This is a disgrace, they put four people who […]
August 14, 2026
By Işıl Kurnaz From the 2003 decision in M.C. v. Bulgaria to the January 2026 decision in Z v. Iceland, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has been applying its consent-based approach to sexual violence cases with increasing rigour. Consequently, it is no longer merely how a Member State defines sexual violence that shapes […]
July 17, 2026
by Emma de Vries The European Commission for Democracy through Law of the Council of Europe (hereafter: the Venice Commission or the Commission) published its Updated Rule of Law Checklist in December 2025. Among other, the Checklist affords a more central place to the relationship between the Rule of Law and academic and educational institutions. […]
July 14, 2026
by Dr Gunay Ismayilova The European Court of Human Rights’ recent judgment in Addonizio and Others v Italy, concerning the long-term environmental consequences of waste mismanagement in the Terra dei Fuochi region, islikely to be remembered as an environmental case under Article 8 of the Convention that settles an up until then evolving approach to […]
July 10, 2026
by Dr David Mier Galera In Biliński v. Poland (April 15, 2026), the ECtHR once again defends the independence of Polish judges against arbitrary actions by higher judicial bodies and the National Council of the Judiciary affected by the judicial reform in Poland. The judicial reform in Poland was approved in 2017, but its effects […]
June 30, 2026
By Babette De Naeyer Imagine this: it’s December and you live in Georgia – obviously, it’s dreadful outside. You work as one of the many cogs in the platform economy: driving around on your scooter in the pouring rain, trying to deliver warm pizzas on people’s doorsteps. Recently, your city’s mayor overhauled the urban transport […]
June 23, 2026
By dr. Ufuk Yeşil Introduction On May 5, 2026, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its judgment in the case of Yasak v. Türkiye (Application No. 17389/20). By a majority, the Court held that the conviction of the applicant under Article 314 § 2 of the Turkish Penal Code […]
June 16, 2026
By Dr. Vladislava Stoyanova Introduction Bulgaria won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 with the song Bangaranga. Soon after the initial euphoria (the song was indeed the best!, but nobody believed that we could actually win), Bulgaria started to discuss its preparedness to organise large-scale events involving many people and ensuring safety. Such discussions are […]
June 12, 2026
by Marilena I. Katsogiannou The intersection of alternatives to prosecution and fair trial guarantees has long occupied a contested space in European criminal procedure. In B.G. v. France (application no. 70945/17, 19 March 2026), the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) confronted this tension in its most acute form: a minor who had reported a […]
June 09, 2026
By dr. Daniel Thym Debates about migration often follow binary descriptions, such as the juxtaposition of state interests and migrant rights. Real life is often more ambiguous, as the Chișinău Declaration, adopted on 15 May 2026, illustrates well. Its focus on migration confronts one of the hottest topics in contemporary politics which holds the potential […]
June 05, 2026
By Jessica Schultz and Jens Vedsted-Hansen Last week, the Committee of Ministers adopted the anticipated Chişinău Declaration, outlining political guidance to the ECtHR in cases related to migration control. A target of discontent is the application of Article 8, which may block states from deporting or denying residence to migrants with strong personal ties to […]
May 26, 2026
By Lena Riemer The distance between Willemstad and Strasbourg is roughly 7,500 kilometers. Yet, as a self-governing constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Curaçao is bound by the treaty obligations entered into by the Netherlands, including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). For that reason, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) […]
May 12, 2026
By Marion Sandner In its decision on 5 March 2026, in European Federation of National Organisations working with the Homeless (FEANTSA) and International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) v France, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) effectively put its foot down for the rights of beggars, homeless people and others living in poverty in […]
May 08, 2026
By Sotiris Paphitis In its recent judgment in X v. Georgia, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR or the Court) was once again confronted with a question that has become increasingly prominent in its recent case-law on sexual violence: can a State be said to have complied with its positive obligations under Articles 3 and […]