Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights

Progress report | Doc. 16140 Add. 2 | 02 April 2025

Author(s):

Bureau of the Assembly

1 Report of the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights

The Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights held a meeting in Paris on 24 March 2025, with Ms Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC) in the Chair.

The committee assessed the lists of the candidates to the Court in respect of Monaco and the Slovak Republic. [(1) See Appendix 1 for the lists of candidates submitted by the governments concerned. The full lists and curricula vitae of candidates can be found in Assembly documents: Doc. 16118 (Monaco) and Doc. 16119 (Slovak Republic).]

2 Conclusions of the committee on the lists of candidates submitted by Monaco and the Slovak Republic

2.1 Monaco

The committee interviewed all the candidates on 24 March 2025.

The committee recommends to the Assembly, by an overwhelming majority, Mr Sébastien Biancheri as the most qualified candidate.

2.2 Slovak Republic

The committee recommends to the Assembly to reject the list on both procedural and substantive grounds, noting that not all candidates fulfil the requirements of Article 21 of the European Convention on Human Rights for election as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights, and to request the Government of the Slovak Republic to submit a new list of candidates.

Appendix 1 – Lists of candidates submitted by the Governments of Monaco and the Slovak Republic

Monaco

• Mr Sébastien BIANCHERI
• Ms Peggy DUCOULOMBIER
• Mr Yves STRICKLER

Slovak Republic

• Ms Daniela JEŽOVÁ
• Mr Ondrej LACIAK
• Mr Radoslav PROCHÁZKA

Appendix 2 – Members of the committee who participated in the meeting [(2) Not all members of the committee participated in the votes.]

Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group (SOC)

• Ms Petra BAYR, Austria – Chairperson
• Mr Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus
• Ms Agnes Sirkka PRAMMER, Austria
• Ms Gala VELDHOEN, Netherlands

Group of the European People's Party (EPP/CD)

• Mr Pablo HISPÁN, Spain
• Ms Belén HOYO, Spain
• Ms Christine PASQUIER-CIULLA, Monaco
• Mr Vladimir VARDANYAN, Armenia
• Mr Sergiy VLASENKO, Ukraine

Group of the European Conservatives, Patriots & Affiliates (ECPA)

• Sir Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom
• Ms Sylvie JOSSERAND, France
• Mr Serhii KALCHENKO, Ukraine – Second Vice Chairperson

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)

• Mr Régis BERGONZI, Monaco
• Ms Stephanie KRISPER, Austria
• Ms Rian VOGELS, Netherlands

Group of the Unified European Left (UEL)

Ex officio members

• Lord Richard KEEN, United Kingdom

Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly

• Ms Despina CHATZIVASSILIOU, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly
• Ms Sonia SIRTORI, Director of Committees – Democracy and Rule of Law
• Mr Guillem CANO-PALOMARES, Deputy to the Head of the Secretariat of the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights