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European Court of Human Rights (1)

01 January 1991

European Court of Human Rights
artdoc July=1994

The Committee of Ministers of the 32 states of the Council of
Europe agreed in Strasbourg on 21 April to create a new single
tier Court of Human Rights. This is to replace the old two-tier
system under which the European Commission of Human Rights
considered applications before they were heard by the Court of
Human Rights. Under the new arrangements individuals will apply
directly to the Court which will normally sit in chambers of
seven judges. Only in exceptional cases will the Court sit as a
grand chamber of 17 judges. Clearly unfounded cases will be dealt
with by a committee of three judges. The change is intended to
speed up the handling of cases which currently can take up to
five years.
The UK government supported the creation of the new court but
maintained its opposition to giving a permanent right to the
individual to apply to the court. Since 1966 UK government's have
made successive five yearly declarations recognising Court and
the right of appeal to it by individual.
Financial Times, 22.4.94; Hansard, Lords, 12.4.94.

Statewatch, vol 4 no 3, May-June 1994