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European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights is an institution of the Council of Europe established in 1959 as one of three mechanisms designed to enforce the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.

The Court is composed of a number of judges equal to that of contracting states, elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for a nine year term.

Up until 1988 there had been both a Commission, which determined the admissibility of claims, and a part-time Court. Protocol 11 replaced this system with one, full-time Court. As of 31 March 2020, there were 60,950 applications pending before the Court.

The European Convention on Human Rights Act, 2003 as amended by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 gives the Convention further effect in Irish law, providing for a more direct role for the Convention in Irish courts.  

Since 2006, Ireland has been the sole funder of the webcasting of hearings before the Court. The overall aim of the project is to extend public access to the hearings of the Court. By furthering knowledge of the Court’s operation, the project seeks to enable applicants to better understand what is at stake in Strasbourg proceedings and to provide a greater understanding of rights flowing from the Convention itself. A link to the webcasting is available here.

Dr Síofra O’Leary assumed her position as a judge of the European Court of Human Rights on 2 July 2015.

Judgments and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in cases involving Ireland

Please note: the text of these, and all other judgments, may be obtained from the website of the European Court of Human Rights 

2019 Allen v Ireland
  Doyle v Ireland
  Ogierakhi v Ireland 
  O'Leary v Ireland
2018 Healy v Ireland
  O’Sullivan McCarthy Mussel Development v Ireland
2017 Brennan v Ireland
  P.H. v Ireland
  Mills v Ireland
  Campion v Ireland
  Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Limited v Ireland
  Blehein v Ireland
  Adigun v Ireland
2015 Zoltai v Hungary and Ireland
  Andreasen v the United Kingdom and 26 other member States of the European Union
2014

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Technical Engineering and Electrical Union v Ireland

  Keena and Kennedy v Ireland
  Enright v Ireland
  Lopes v Ireland
  Reilly v Ireland
  MD v Ireland
  Lynch and Whelan v Ireland
  Smith v Ireland
  Nic Gibb v Ireland
  O'Keeffe v Ireland
2013 Donohoe v Ireland
  Kieran v Ireland
  MD v Ireland
  E v Ireland
  Rooney v Ireland
2012

C v Ireland           

  O v Ireland
  Courtney v Ireland
  Boyce v Ireland 
  Magee v Ireland
  McDermott and Others v Ireland and Keegan v Ireland
  Birney v Ireland and Troy and Brennan v Ireland
2011 Superwood Holdings plc and Others v Ireland
  TH v Ireland
  Okon v Ireland
  J.B. v Ireland 
  Enright v Ireland 
  Adio v Ireland 
  Izevbekhai and Others v Ireland 
2010 Mc Farlane v. Ireland
  A, B and C v. Ireland
  Kelly v Ireland
  Stapelton v Ireland
2009 X v Ireland
2008 Boyce v Ireland
2007 Delaney v Ireland
2006 D v Ireland
2005 Independent News and Media Plc. & Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd. v.  Ireland
  Bosphorus Airways v. Ireland
  Barry v. Ireland
  White and Woulfe v Ireland
  Panevskii v Ireland
2004 O'Reilly and Others v Ireland
  McMullen v Ireland
2003 Murphy v Ireland
  Doran v Ireland
2002 DG v Ireland
2001 McElhinney v Ireland
2000 Quinn v Ireland
  Heaney and McGuinness v Ireland
1994 Keegan v Ireland
1993 Pine Valley Developments and Others v Ireland (Article 50)
1992 Open Door and Well Woman v Ireland
1991   Pine Valley Developments and Others v Ireland
1988 Norris v Ireland
1986   Johnston and Others v Ireland
1981 Airey v Ireland (Article 50)
1979 Airey v Ireland
1978 Ireland v United Kingdom
1961   Lawless v Ireland (No 2)
  Lawless v Ireland (No 3)
1960 Lawless v Ireland (No1)

Our Legal Division is the Agent for the Government before the European Court of Human Rights. We do not give legal advice to members of the public on lodging a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.  The website of the European Court of Human Rights contains useful information intended to assist persons in considering whether to lodge a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights.

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On case-law of the European Court of Human Rights