The European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights: the importance and application of rights before the domestic judiciary

Niš, 18.01.2024.

The seventh lecture, to the second generation of participants, as part of the training program Strengthening Capacities for Judicial Reform - southern Serbia, was held by Dušan Ignjatović, LLM, an attorney at law from Belgrade and a legal expert in the field of human rights. The lecture title is The European Court of Human Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights: the importance and application of rights before the domestic judiciary.

During the lecture, the content and importance of the European Convention on Human Rights were discussed, as well as the organization and procedure before the Court. The central part of the lecture is devoted to the past practice of the Court, the impact of the Convention, and the practice of the Court on state legislation and national judicial practice. There was also talk about the conduct of proceedings before the Court from the point of view of the legal profession, as well as the importance of executing the Court's judgments. The lecturer reflected on the past practice of the Court, the current situation (especially regarding the large number of rejected petitions), and the future of the Court and European human rights law in general, was discussed. It was also addressed why domestic judges insufficiently apply ECHR and ECtHR law.

Mr. Ignjatović indicated that he is skeptical about quick solutions and that intellectuals should always fight against quick solutions. He also pointed out that prison without the possibility of pardon is not a good solution because it excludes the possibility of re-education. Thus, he questioned the practicality of life imprisonment.

The lecture was realized with the support of the Open Society Foundation.