CEDH · PRESS;GENERAL;ENG — 25 janvier 2007

.s800EAC49 { font-size:12pt } .sFE10DC93 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:center } .s29100277 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold } .s40F41F73 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:right } .s32563E28 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt } .sBB9EE52A { font-family:Arial } .s7ED160F0 { text-decoration:none } .s3DC36BA9 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline; color:#0069d6 } .sADADF4A7 { font-family:Arial; text-decoration:underline } .sCB9E0544 { margin-top:0pt; margin-bottom:0pt; text-align:left } .sC7EAD8B { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; text-decoration:underline } .s4DDA3AA3 { font-family:Arial; font-weight:bold; font-style:italic } .sA36B60A1 { font-family:Arial; font-style:italic } EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS 63 25.1.2007   Press release issued by the Registrar   Urgent need to implement reforms to secure future of European Court   The European Court of Human Right’s new President has today called for an important package of reforms to be implemented urgently.   Speaking at the Court’s annual press conference in Strasbourg this afternoon, President Jean-Paul Costa (French) expressed his concern that the long-awaited Protocol 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights is still not in place at the beginning of 2007, as had been hoped.   The Protocol is principally designed to help the Court deal more quickly with its ever-growing list of pending cases (now some 90,000 cases), in particular, by simplifying procedures for dealing both with cases which have no chance of success (at least 90% of all cases) and well-founded repetitive cases. The Protocol must be ratified by all 46 European States which have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. 45 States have ratified; Russia has so far failed to do so.     “The Court is universally known and respected but its future depends on its effectiveness,” Mr Costa told journalists. “If the Court becomes ineffective, it will lose its credibility. The Court needs the support of courts and national authorities and, if Protocol 14 does not enter into force soon, the future of the Court and Convention system will be in jeopardy.   “According to a provisional assessment, without any increase in resources, the application of Protocol 14 will enable the Court to increase its productivity by at least 25%. Although it cannot suffice by itself, the Protocol is therefore indispensable. Everything starts with Protocol 14. The Group of Wise Persons, appointed to make proposals to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the Court, have already submitted their report, but it presupposes that Protocol 14 is already in place.   “If nothing is done about the influx of inadmissible and repetitive cases to the Court, our great European institution will be asphyxiated. Protocol 14 must enter into force and as quickly as possible.”   Mr Costa also told journalists that the number of judgments delivered by the Court in 2006 had risen by 40% (from 1105 in 2005 to 1560 in 2006).   The Court has also issued its annual table of violations by country for 2006 at today’s press conference.   ( link )   ***   Further information about the Court can be found on its Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).   Press contacts Emma Hellyer (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15) Stéphanie Klein (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54) Beverley Jacobs (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 90 21 54 21)   The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.