Civil Society and the European Court of Human Rights

Abstract

In the last fifty years, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) incrementally transformed human rights in Europe. The effects and role of states in this transformation is oft debated, problematizing the degree to which national sovereignty is unwillingly diminished or conversely the willingness of states to allow this evolution and expansion. Yet much less is known about the historical and present role of social activists and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in ECtHR litigation. I argue that the evolution of the Convention system was and continues to be critically linked to a dynamic interaction between civil society and the ECtHR. The legitimacy of this process remains a fine balance between societal inclusion and domestic government support.

Keywords: European Court of Human Rights, NGOs