In a groundbreaking move to enhance its case law accessibility, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has expanded its Knowledge Sharing Platform (ECHR-KS) to include new language versions in Romanian, Turkish, and Ukrainian. This milestone development, launched in collaboration with the European Institute of Romania, the Ministry of Justice of Türkiye, and the Supreme Court of Ukraine, significantly increases accessibility for over 300 million citizens across Council of Europe member states.
Revolutionising Access to Case Law Knowledge
The ECHR-KS is a unique, dynamic platform that provides an in-depth, curated analysis of the Court's extensive case law, categorised by Article of the European Convention and theme (e.g., environment, immigration, terrorism, data protection, and other). Unlike static legal databases, this platform integrates relevant international standards and doctrine, with content updated weekly to reflect emerging themes.
From Internal Tool to a Europe-Wide Legal Resource
Initially launched for internal use within the Court, the platform quickly proved to be a transformative judicial knowledge management tool. Recognising its potential to empower national courts facing the challenge of navigating extensive Convention case law, the ECHR-KS was extended in 2019 to members of the Superior Courts Network (SCN). Following overwhelming positive feedback, a fully public version was launched in 2022 in English and French, marking a major step toward greater transparency and subsidiarity.
Breaking the Language Barrier in Human Rights Law
The latest expansion marks a true paradigm shift, addressing the critical language barrier that has long been one of the barriers to the effective implementation of the European Convention at the national level. By providing access to case law knowledge in Romanian, Turkish, and Ukrainian, the platform now facilitates legal understanding and application for a vast segment of Europe's population.
This initiative has been made possible through voluntary contributions from France, Ireland, and the Human Rights Trust Fund of the Council of Europe. The Luxembourg Presidency of the Committee of Ministers has recognised and honoured this achievement, reinforcing the commitment to strengthening national Convention actors through access to knowledge on the Convention case law.
A Vision for the Future
With a bold vision ahead, the Court and the Directorate General of Human Rights and the Rule of Law (DG1) are now working towards translating ECHR-KS into other languages of the Council of Europe. Leveraging digital and translation technologies, this work aims to ensure optimal use of the platform by all Convention actors, further reinforcing the principle of subsidiarity and advancing human rights implementation across Europe.
