DDRO 27A23 - Introduction to the law and practice of the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, is a permanent judicial body established under the auspices of the Council of Europe. It applies the European Convention on Human Rights in respect of its 47 member states and is a unique human rights court worldwide, with a dedicated system for ensuring compliance with its judgments. This course will help students understand how the Court operates in practice, which human rights cases come before it, and how the Convention as a “living instrument” can address newly emerging human rights issues. Additionally, it will provide students with practical skills on how to bring a case before the Court. Divided into two main parts, the course will first introduce important structural, theoretical, and procedural issues concerning the European Court and the Convention; it will then address a selection of rights and freedoms and provide an overview of how the Court has interpreted them over time.
Maia TITBERIDZE
English
Autumn 2021-2022
Assessment is based on class participation (10%), after-class quizzes (15%), mid-term essay (45%), and an open-book final exam (30%).
Various parts of the following books, as relevant for each session, will be indicated as compulsory reading in the Syllabus:
Elizabeth Wicks, Bernadette Rainey, and Clare Ovey, The European Convention on Human Rights (Oxford University Press, 2017);
David Harris, Michael O'Boyle, Ed Bates, and Carla Buckley, Harris, O'Boyle & Warbrick: Law of the European Convention on Human Rights (Oxford University Press, 2018);
Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos and Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, The Individual Application under the European Convention on Human Rights (CoE, 2019);
Additionally, where relevant, case excerpts, and short guides or other documents prepared by the Council of Europe and/or the European Court will also be indicated as compulsory reading.