European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is the court of the Council of Europe that rules on applications alleging breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights by member states. It has one judge for each state; the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe elects them from lists of three candidates proposed by each state, for a single non-renewable term of nine years. Cases are handled by single judges, three-judge Committees, seven-judge Chambers and a 17-judge Grand Chamber. In 2025 the Court says it allocated 31,800 applications, delivered 914 judgments, and cut its pending caseload from 60,350 to 53,450, the lowest since March 2005. Mattias Guyomar of France has been President since 30 May 2025.
Who leads it
- President: Mattias Guyomar (France) (since 2025-05-30) (echr.coe.int)
- Vice-President: Arnfinn Bardsen (Norway) (echr.coe.int)
- Vice-President: Ivana Jelic (Montenegro) (echr.coe.int)
- UK judge: Hugh Mercer (since 2025-09-22) (echr.coe.int)
The UK and the ECtHR
The UK ratified the European Convention on Human Rights in 1951, according to the Court. Hugh Mercer has been the UK judge since 22 September 2025. In 2025 the Court dealt with 397 UK applications, 385 of them declared inadmissible or struck out, and delivered 10 judgments, 4 finding at least one violation.
Key figures
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Applications allocated to a judicial formation (2025) | 31,800, up 10 per cent on 2024 (28,800) | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Pending allocated applications (31 December 2025) | 53,450, down from 60,350; lowest since March 2005 | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Judgments delivered (2025) | 914 (covering 7,011 applications), down 17 per cent; 622 by three-judge Committees and 286 by Chambers | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Applications declared inadmissible or struck out (2025) | 31,562, up 21 per cent | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Interim measures decisions (Rule 39) (2025) | 2,701 decisions; requests granted in 222 cases | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Largest shares of pending applications (31 December 2025) | Türkiye 34.5 per cent, Russia 13.5 per cent, Ukraine 7.5 per cent, Poland 6.5 per cent, Italy 5.2 per cent | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Registry staff (July 2026) | 673 (as stated in the UK country profile) | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| UK cases (2025) | 397 applications decided; 10 judgments (4 with a violation) | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
| Judges' term (Current) | Non-renewable nine years; elected by the Parliamentary Assembly | European Court of Human Rights, read 23 October 2026 |
What it decides
- Judgments on individual and inter-state applications alleging breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights.
- Admissibility: single judges examine manifestly inadmissible applications and Committees and Chambers decide others.
- Interim measures under Rule 39 of the Rules of Court in urgent cases.
- Grand Chamber cases relinquished by a Chamber or referred to it, and advisory opinions; the Grand Chamber has 17 judges.
- Advisory opinions requested by national courts, such as the 20 October 2026 opinion requested by Luxembourg's Constitutional Court.
- Priority policy: the Court focuses resources on the most important cases, with 10,757 priority applications pending at the end of 2025.
- Friendly settlements and unilateral declarations: 1,248 applications were struck out on these grounds in 2025.
Timeline
- 1951: The United Kingdom ratifies the European Convention on Human Rights. (echr.coe.int)
- 1959: Lord McNair becomes the first UK judge, the earliest term in the Court's list of UK judges. (echr.coe.int)
- 2025-05-30: Mattias Guyomar becomes President of the Court. (echr.coe.int)
- 2025-09-22: Hugh Mercer becomes the UK judge. (echr.coe.int)
- 2026: The Court publishes its 2025 statistics, reporting the lowest pending caseload since March 2005. (echr.coe.int)
- 2026-10-20: The Court gives an advisory opinion requested by Luxembourg's Constitutional Court. (echr.coe.int)
- 2026-10-21: The President updates the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers. (echr.coe.int)
How it is held to account
- The President gives a twice-yearly update to the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers (Court news, 21 October 2026).
- Judges are elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from lists of three candidates and serve a single nine-year term.
- The Court publishes annual statistics, country profiles and an annual report.
- Single judges cannot hear applications against the state in respect of which they were elected or of which they are a national (judicial formations page).
- Public hearings are announced in advance, for example Ahmad v. Denmark and Makki v. Denmark on 2 December 2026.
Records you can check
- Analysis of statistics 2025Applications, judgments, pending cases and respondent-state breakdown for 2025
- United Kingdom country profileUK applications, judgments, pending cases and key cases (July 2026)
- Composition of the CourtThe judges in order of precedence, Sections and Vice-Presidents
- Presidency of the CourtThe President's role and term
- Judicial formationsSingle judges, Committees, Chambers, Grand Chamber and Sections
- Court home page and newsRecent judgments, advisory opinions and hearing dates
Common questions
What is the European Court of Human Rights?
It is the Strasbourg court that decides applications about alleged breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights by Council of Europe member states. It has one judge per state, and the UK ratified the Convention in 1951. The Court's pages describe single-judge, Committee, Chamber and Grand Chamber formations.
Who is the President of the European Court of Human Rights?
Mattias Guyomar of France has been President since 30 May 2025, according to the Court. The plenary Court elects the President for three years. Arnfinn Bardsen of Norway and Ivana Jelic of Montenegro are the two Vice-Presidents listed on the composition page.
How are the Court's judges chosen?
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe elects them from lists of three candidates proposed by each state. They serve a single, non-renewable term of nine years. Each judge is elected in respect of a state, and the Court's composition page lists them in order of precedence.
How many cases does the Court have pending?
The Court reports 53,450 allocated applications pending at 31 December 2025, down from 60,350 a year earlier and the lowest since March 2005. Türkiye accounted for 34.5 per cent of them, Russia 13.5 per cent and Ukraine 7.5 per cent.
How many judgments did the Court deliver in 2025?
The Court delivered 914 judgments in 2025, 17 per cent fewer than in 2024, covering 7,011 applications because many were joined. Committees delivered 622 judgments and Chambers 286. It also declared 31,562 applications inadmissible or struck them out of the list.
How many UK cases did the Strasbourg court decide in 2025?
The Court's UK country profile says it dealt with 397 applications concerning the United Kingdom in 2025, with 385 declared inadmissible or struck out. It delivered 10 judgments covering 12 applications, and 4 of them found at least one violation. The UK judge is Hugh Mercer.
Who follows up on the Court's judgments?
The Court delivers the judgments. The pages reviewed show its President giving the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers a twice-yearly update, most recently on 21 October 2026, and the Court says its priorities are efficiency, visibility and responsibility. The Court's own pages do not set out enforcement powers, so check the Committee of Ministers' pages.
Other bodies at level 7
- African Union
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights
- European Central Bank
- European Union (incl. Parliament, Commission, Council)
- Gulf Cooperation Council
- Mercosur
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
Sources
- European Court of Human Rights home page, read 23 October 2026
- Analysis of statistics 2025, read 23 October 2026
- Press country profile: The United Kingdom, read 23 October 2026
- Composition of the Court, read 23 October 2026
- Presidency of the Court, read 23 October 2026
- Judicial formations, read 23 October 2026