Cameron seeks to reform human rights court

In a speech on the 25 January 2012 to mark the United Kingdom's six-month presidency of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, UK Prime Minister David Cameron urged the institution to reform its European Court of Human Rights, to grasp a 'once-in-a-generation' chance to enhance the institution’s reputation and streamline its operations.

The European Court of Human Rights must be reformed so that it is free to deal with the most egregious rights abuses rather than acting as a 'small claims court'. The European court currently had a backlog of more than 150,000 cases.

The UK intended to map out improved procedures for nominating judges and a strengthening of the subsidiarity principle – whereby final decisions are made at a national level.

However, Sir Nicolas Bratza – President of the ECHR and the UK’s representative at the ECHR said that the comments were a pandering to the popular press and were based on a 'misunderstanding of the court’s role and history'.

Mr Cameron’s calls for an overhaul of the European Court of Human Rights did receive firm backing from Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.

UK: No.10 Website: Speech, 25.1.12: Speech on the European Court of Human Rights http://www.number10.gov.uk/news/european-court-of-human-rights/

CoE: News, 25.1.12: UK's Cameron makes case for human rights Court reform http://www.coe.int/lportal/en/web/coe-portal/press/newsroom?p_p_id=newsroom&_newsroom_articleId=792015&_newsroom_groupId=10226&_newsroom_tabs=newsroom-topnews&pager.offset=0

BBC News, 25.1.12: David Cameron to urge European court reform http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16708845

ESO: Background information: The European Convention on Human Rights and the Court of Human Rights: Issues and reforms http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-european-convention-on-human-rights-and-the-court-of-human-rights-issues-and-reforms/

ESO: Background information: Reform of the European Court of Human Rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/reform-of-the-european-court-of-human-rights/

http://www.echr.coe.int/echr/ http://www.echr.coe.int/echr/

Amnesty International: European Office: Press Release, 22.2.12: European Court of Human Rights is no small claims court http://www.amnesty.eu/en/press-releases/all/0544-0544/

Open Society Foundations: Open Society Justice Initiative: Joint Statement: Strengthening the Protection of Human Rights in Europe, March 2012 http://www.soros.org/initiatives/justice/articles_publications/publications/echr-statement-20120306

BBC News, 13.3.12: European Court of Human Rights 'not interfering in UK' http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17351357

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