Europe rights court introduces Ethics Council to uphold judicial integrity News
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Europe rights court introduces Ethics Council to uphold judicial integrity

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced Monday the establishment of an Ethics Council tasked with providing advisory guidance to the President of the court on matters pertaining to judicial ethics.

The decision to formally constitute the Ethics Council was adopted by the Plenary Court during its session on 16 December 2024. This development marks a significant step in the court’s commitment to judicial ethics, ensuring that the ethical standards governing its judges are transparent, rigorous, and accountable, thereby reinforcing the court’s integrity as an institution.

The Ethics Council of the ECHR will consist of five members: the most senior Vice-President, the most senior Section President, and the three most senior sitting judges, with the Registrar of the Court assisting its operation. The Plenary Court has vested the President with the authority to consult the Ethics Council whenever guidance is required regarding a judge’s compliance with established ethical standards. This provision extends beyond serving judges to encompass ad hoc and former judges, as well as matters pertaining to the court as an institutional entity. This initiative aligns with the Resolution on Judicial Ethics, updated in 2021, which underscores the President’s role in overseeing judicial ethics. In response to the formation of the Ethics Council, Article 12 of the Resolution has been amended, marking a significant development in the court’s approach to judicial accountability.

Furthermore, the Ethics Council is expected to play a key role in addressing ethical dilemmas, preventing potential conflicts of interest, and upholding the judiciary’s credibility. According to a 2020 research conducted by the European Centre for Law and Justice, 22 percent of judges, who served at the ECHR between 2009 and 2019, had strong links with nongovernmental organizations. In addition, judges failed to recuse themselves in more than 80 cases judges had a connection with their previous employers.

Similar to the European Court of Human Rights’ newly established Ethics Council, other prominent international judicial bodies have similarly instituted robust ethical frameworks to govern judicial conduct. For instance, specific codes of conduct govern the judicial ethics of the International Criminal Court and UN tribunals, mandating judges adhere unwaveringly to the highest standards of integrity, independence, and impartiality.

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