Letter from Mr Csanád Major, Deputy Permanent Representative of Hungary to the Council of Europe, to Ms Despina Chatzivassiliou, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, dated 19 August 2025.
[…]
Dear Secretary General,
With reference to your letter of 11 September 2024 concerning the Hungarian candidates for judge of the European Court of Human Rights, I have the pleasure to officially transmit the list of candidates and the summary of the selection procedure for consideration by the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
[…]
The Government of Hungary issued a call for applications for the position of the Hungarian judge opening on 23 April 2026 at the European Court of Human Rights. The call for applications was published on 22 April 2025 on the website of the Ministry of Justice.
The deadline for submitting the application was 6 May 2025, which was extended until 20 May 2025.
The candidates were selected at national level, in accordance with the expectations of the Council of Europe, through an open and transparent selection procedure, based on the nomination of the Professional Committee for the Evaluation of the Application (hereinafter: the Professional Committee).
The members of the Applications Evaluation Committee were as follows:
To evaluate the applications for the position of the Hungarian judge, the Ministry of Justice set up a Professional Committee consisting of highly respected representatives of the domestic legal community in order to ensure that candidates’ being of high moral character, possessing the qualifications necessary for the judicial position, and having active knowledge of English or French and passive knowledge of the other official language be appropriately assessed. The Professional Committee also took into account the aspect of gender balance in its work. Representation of both genders is ensured among the candidates.
In addition to fulfilling the mandatory conditions stipulated in the call for applications, the Professional Committee examined the candidates’ professional qualifications based on the submitted applications and in a personal interview.
The Professional Committee formed its position solely on professional considerations, based on the written application materials submitted and the personal interviews. The Professional Committee heard all applicants on 20 June 2025 and provided the candidates the opportunity to verbally supplement their submitted applications and answer the questions of the members of the Professional Committee.
The Professional Committee formulated its proposal after the personal hearing by ranking the male and female candidates by secret ballot. From the top three candidates on the ranked list, the Professional Committee selected three individuals in the second round by secret ballot, keeping in mind a balanced ratio of female and male candidates.
When making their decision, the Professional Committee took into account the criteria specified in the call for applications, in particular, the candidates' professional background, their sensitivity to human rights, their knowledge of the functioning of the Court, their level of language skills, their argumentative skills, as well as their international law experiences and their ability for co-operation.
The Professional Committee took into account the relevant resolutions and guidelines of the Council of Europe.
The Professional Committee ranked the candidates by secret ballot.
The Professional Committee recorded the results of the vote. The ballots were placed separately for each round in a sealed envelope, signed by the Chairman of the Committee and the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Justice.
Based on the above procedure, the Professional Committee decided by secret ballot to support the candidacy of the following candidates:
The final candidates were not ranked in order of preference.
The Professional Committee informed the Minister of Justice in writing of its proposal on 9 July 2025.
At the proposal of the Minister of Justice, the government decided to approve the proposal.
The decision of the government was published in the Official Journal (Magyar Közlöny) on 31 July 2025 (1276/2025 (VII.31.) Government decree).
Call for applications for the position of the Hungarian judge
The Government of Hungary announces a call for applications for the position of the Hungarian judge of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as the Court) from 23 April 2026. The judges of the Court are elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe from a list of three candidates submitted by the member states.
In accordance with the expectations of the Council of Europe, candidates are selected at the national level with the help of a professional committee after assessing the applications, and an advisory body within the framework of the Council of Europe also takes a position on their person. The candidates will then be heard by a committee of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Conditions for submitting an application for the position of judge:
Further requirements for candidates are contained in Articles 21-23 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (hereinafter: the Convention), contained in Resolutions 1646 (2009), and amended 1366 (2004) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and in Guideline 40 of the Committee of Ministers.
Candidates are expected to have both in-depth knowledge of Strasbourg case law and a high level of English and French language skills (active knowledge of one and at least passive knowledge of the other is required).
During their term of office, judges may not engage in any activity that is incompatible with their independence and impartiality or with the requirements of holding a full-time office.
Judges must have a permanent residence in Strasbourg.
From among the applicants having met the eligibility criteria preference is given to applicants who:
- are familiar with both national law and international public law and had law-application or academic experience in the field of human rights;
- had active, high-level knowledge of both official languages of the Council of Europe;
- had experience as a judge/law-applier.
During the nomination procedure the Hungarian Government will also pay due regard to the gender balance requirement.
On the basis of the documents in the following websites http://assembly.coe.int/CommitteeDocs/2009/ModelCVFR.doc, http://assembly.coe.int/CommitteeDocs/2009/ModelCVEN.doc the applications can be submitted in Hungarian to the [email protected] e-mail address by 6 May 2025 with a motivation letter.
Professional profiles of candidates interviewed but not ultimately selected by the Professional Committee
|
Candidate |
Education and professional experience |
|
Female |
PhD., LL.M. university vice dean, university professor head of secretariat at the Constitutional Court member of the expert committee of the European Charter on Regional or Minority languages |
|
Female |
PhD, candidate [degree from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences], LL.M. Representing litigants as legal counsel and trainee lawyer in Budapest and London university professor head of bioethics department of an international organisation |
|
Male |
PhD., LL.M. university professor, dean editor of a Commentary to an international treaty expert responsible for European Human Rights LLM training counsellor, head of department at the Office of the President of the Republic |
|
Male |
LL.M. judge assigned to the Curia advisor on European law teacher of university course on “International Protection of Human Rights” |
|
Female |
LL.M. Certificate of Harvard Negotiation Master Class Postgraduate Diploma in Global Business; Leadership Scholarship, Saïd Business School, Oxford University Certificate of the Program on Negotiation, Senior Executive Education, Harvard Law School Certificate of International Comparative Law, Human Rights, Erasmus, Brabant University, Tilburg Certificate of Comparative Law, University of Graz, Austria Employee of an international financial organisation Former work experience: OSCE Secretary General’s Office Senior expert in human rights and conflict management Council of Europe, Political Directorate, Legal Directorate Registry of the ECtHR |
|
Male |
LL.M. Academy of European Law course on Human Rights in Europe codifier training Council of Europe’s Human rights course course in EU law national representative in ECRI representative in CDDH national contact point of OSCE concerning hate speech agent before the ECtHR representative of Hungary before UN treaty bodies |
Name: ROZSNYAI, Krisztina Márta
Gender: female
Date and place of birth: 31 August 1975 in Budapest, Hungary
Nationality: Hungarian, German
1994-1999: Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) of Budapest, Faculty of Law; doctor iuris summa cum laude (1999)
2001-2002: Deutsche Hochschule für Verwaltungswissenschaften Speyer, Germany; magistra rerum publicarum (2002)
2008 University ELTE Budapest, Doctoral School of Legal Science; PhD (summa cum laude)
2015 Habilitation – venia legendi for Hungarian and comparative administrative law
1999-2004: assistant/ counsel, Constitutional Court: drafting of decisions for justices Kiss and Erdei
2012-2014: senior advisor at the Administrative and Labour Law Section of the Kuria, the Highest Court of Hungary: supporting the panels with comparative legal advice and taking part in activities for monitoring the case law as well as participating in international activities of the Curia (visits to/from foreign courts and contributing to seminars for judges)
Professor of administrative law of the Faculty of Law of University ELTE Budapest
since 2019: Vice-dean for international relations of the Faculty of Law, University ELTE Budapest
I had the privilege to lead the codification works of the first Hungarian Code of Administrative Court Procedure (Act. No. 1 of 2017) at the Ministry of Justice between January 2015 and March 2017 [as a senior scientific adviser/ ministerial commissioner (July 2015 – Sept 2016)].
2008-2009: counsel at the Central Hungarian Regional Government Office, dealing with property right related administrative cases
2013-2015: member of the Appeals Committee of the National Accreditation Board
Member of the Committee of Research Ethics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences since 2023
Head of the Public Law Section of the Hungarian Lawyers' Association since 2021
As a civil servant at the Constitutional Court, I dealt with a wide range of procedural and substantive issues arising before the Court when drafting decisions for Justices Kiss and Erdei.
In the codification process of the Code of Administrative Court Procedure I could shape (draft) primary legislation to ensure ECHR (and EU-law) compliance.
Teaching administrative law, with special emphasis on administrative (procedural and court procedural) aspects of the protection of human rights. In addition to teaching these subjects in the general, core university courses, I offer in English a course centered around Article 6 ECHR with special emphasis on the issues of judicial review and judicial administration. In recent years, I also had the privilege to give guest lectures and courses on the right to effective judicial protection at several universities abroad [Bristol (UK), Indiana University (USA), Poitiers (F), Düsseldorf (D) and Göttingen (D)], and more broadly on administrative legal protection mechanisms [at LMU Munich (D), AMU Poznan (PL)], as well as on judicial independence [Bern (CH) and Manchester (UK)].
I contributed to the first Hungarian-language commentary of the European Convention on Human Rights edited by Pál Sonnevend and Eszter Bodnár with commentaries on Articles 6 and 13 ECHR.
My research is focused on the importance and the interdependencies of the rights to effective legal protection, fair trial and due process (see VII.).
Not applicable
Not applicable
Memberships in expert working groups:
Memberships in International Learned Societies:
Editorial Board Memberships:
160 scientific publications with more than 800 independent references, 222 items in total [full list at MTMT (Hungarian Scientific Bibliography)].
Selected recent publications:
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Language |
English |
French |
German |
Hungarian |
|
Reading |
C2 |
C2 |
C2 |
C2 |
|
Writing |
C1 |
C1 |
C2 |
C2 |
|
Listening |
C2 |
C1 |
C2 |
C2 |
|
Speaking |
C1 |
C1 |
C2 |
C2 |
|
How acquired? |
School and private lessons preparing for Proficiency in English exam |
School and University (Diplôme d’Université de Langue, Littérature, Civilisation Françaises, Paris-X) |
Living in Austria and Germany (1984-90), University (LMU München, DHV Speyer) |
Mother tongue |
Married, 5 children
Yes, I confirm
Yes, I confirm
Name: SCHANDA, Balázs Tibor
Gender: male
Date and place of birth: 18 August 1968, Budapest, Hungary
Nationality: Hungarian
Qualifications:
Studies abroad:
Member of the Constitutional Court of Hungary since 1 December 2016 (Parliamentary resolution 31/2016. (XI. 23.) OGY)
Appointed judge since 1 July 2020 (Presidential resolution 304/2020. (VII. 3.) KE)
Constitutional Court of the Republic of Hungary:
Ministry of National Cultural Heritage:
Prime Ministers’ Office:
Constitutional Court of the Republic of Hungary:
Pázmány Péter Catholic University:
Not applicable
Member of the Constitutional Court (since 2016)
Member of the Constitutional Court (since 2016)
Not applicable
Full list of publications: https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=authors10001202
All publications: 403, independent citations: 1749
|
Language |
English |
French |
German |
Italian |
|
Reading |
C2 |
B2 |
C1 |
B2 |
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Writing |
C2 |
B1 |
C1 |
B1 |
|
Listening |
C2 |
B2 |
C2 |
B2 |
|
Speaking |
C2 |
B1 |
C1 |
B1 |
|
How acquired? |
privately since childhood |
secondary school |
privately since early childhood |
privately |
Married since 2003, four children.
Yes, I confirm
Yes, I confirm
Name: SZABÓ, Marcel
Gender: male
Date and place of birth: 23 May 1970 in Budapest, Hungary
Nationality: Hungarian
Academic activities:
1997-present – Lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Pázmány Péter Catholic University (full professor since 2017)
2013-present – Founder and editor-in-chief of the Hungarian Yearbook of International Law and European Law – a gold open access law journal, ranked by Scopus and ERIH Plus, and currently published by Nomos, Germany. The journal aims to present the latest scientific research and developments in international and European law in Hungary to an international audience, as well as the most significant decisions of the Hungarian supreme courts (Curia of Hungary, Constitutional Court of Hungary). It also analyses important cases from international forums, primarily the CJEU and the ECtHR, that are relevant to or significant for Hungary.
Non-academic and non-judicial legal activities:
2017-present – Chair of the International Committee of Voices of Future Generations, established by the World Future Council. The program’s mission is to promote children’s rights to education and culture by publishing books written by children (typically aged 8-12) for younger readers.
Not applicable
Membership in editorial boards:
Membership in professional organisations:
Positions in professional organisations (all positions without remuneration):
Awards:
Full list of publications is included in the Hungarian Scientific Works Repository (mtmt): https://m2.mtmt.hu/gui2/?type=authors&mode=browse&sel=authors10026228&paging=1;1000
Total number of books and articles: 161 (116 ’scientific publications’), independent citations: 317, Hirsch-index: 9
Most important titles:
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Language |
English |
French |
Hungarian |
|
Reading |
C2 |
B2 |
C2 |
|
Writing |
C2 |
B2 |
C2 |
|
Listening |
C2 |
B2 |
C2 |
|
Speaking |
C2 |
B2 |
C2 |
|
How acquired? |
learning, studying abroad |
learning, studying abroad |
mother tongue |
Not applicable
Yes, I confirm
Yes, I confirm