Previous openings of the Judicial Year
2018
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The opening of the Court’s judicial year took place on 26 January 2018. To mark the occasion, a seminar was held on the topic The authority of the judiciary, attended by Presidents of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts of the Council of Europe member States and numerous senior judicial figures.
Video of the Seminar (Part 1): Original language - English
Video of the Seminar (Part 2): Original language - English
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing that followed the seminar, President Guido Raimondi and Koen Lenaerts, President of the Court of Justice of the European Union, addressed an audience of around 350 persons.
Speech by President Guido Raimondi
Video of the Ceremony - Original language - English
2017
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The official opening of the Court’s judicial year took place on 27 January 2017. Some 300 senior judicial figures from European States took part in a seminar on the theme: Non-refoulement as a principle of international law and the role of the judiciary in its implementation.
Video of the opening of the Seminar: Original language - English
Video Workshop 1: Original language - English
Video Workshop 2: Original language
Video of the concluding session: Original language - English
Solemn hearing
The seminar was followed by the official opening ceremony, in the course of which the President Guido Raimondi and Silvia Alejandra Fernández de Gurmendi, President of the International Criminal Court, addressed an audience of about 350 at the solemn hearing.
Speech by President Guido Raimondi
Speech by Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English
2016
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The theme of the seminar was International and national courts confronting large-scale violations of human rights. It was opened by Guido Raimondi and the sessions were chaired by Julia Laffranque and Ganna Yudkivska, Judges of the ECHR. The speakers at the seminar were Piotr Hofmański, Judge of the International Criminal Court, Aharon Barak, former President of the Supreme Court of Israel and Erik Møse, Ksenija Turković, Robert Spano and Iulia Antoanella Motoc, Judges of the ECHR.
Seminar Background Paper Part 1 Part 2
Video of the seminar: Original language - English - French
Solemn hearing
The seminar was followed by the official opening ceremony, in the course of which the President Guido Raimondi and Andrzej Rzepliński, President of the Polish Constitutional Court, addressed a 330-strong audience representing the judicial world and local and national authorities.
Speech by President Guido Raimondi
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2015
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The theme of the seminar was Subsidiarity: a two-sided coin?. It was opened by Dean Spielmann, with an introduction by Julia Laffranque, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights elected in respect of Estonia. Sabino Cassese, Judge of the Constitutional Court of Justice of Italy, Angelika Nußberger, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights elected in respect of Germany, Jean-Marc Sauvé, Vice President of the French Conseil d’Etat, and Paul Lemmens, Judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Belgium, addressed the seminar.
Video of the seminar: Original language - English - French
Solemn hearing
The seminar was followed by the official opening ceremony, in the course of which the President Dean Spielmann and Francisco Pérez de los Cobos, President of the Constitutional Court of Spain, addressed a 330-strong audience representing the judicial world and local and national authorities.
Speech by President Dean Spielmann
Speech by Francisco Pérez de los Cobos
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2014
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
To mark the Opening of the judicial year 2014, 260 leading judicial figures from across Europe took part in a seminar on the topic Implementation of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: a shared judicial responsibility?.
Video of the seminar: Original language - English - French
Solemn hearing
The seminar was followed by the official opening ceremony, in the course of which President Spielmann and Andreas Voßkuhle, President of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, addressed a 320-strong audience representing the judicial world and local and national authorities.
Speech by President Dean Spielmann
Speech by Prof. Dr. Andreas Voßkuhle
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2013
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court's judicial year was formally opened on 25 January 2013. One hundred and fifty eminent figures from the European judicial scene attended a seminar on the theme Implementing the European Convention on Human Rights in times of economic crisis.
Video of the seminar: Original language - English - French
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Dean Spielmann and Theodor Meron, President of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, addressed an audience of about 300, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
Speech by President Dean Spielmann
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2012
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court's judicial year was formally opened on Friday 27 January 2012. Some 200 leading judicial figures from across Europe were invited to participate in a seminar on the topic How can we ensure greater involvement of national courts in the Convention system?.
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Sir Nicolas Bratza and Thomas Hammarberg, the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed an audience of about 300, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
Speech by President Sir Nicolas Bratza
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2011
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court's judicial year was formally opened on Friday 28 January 2011. Some 200 leading judicial figures from across Europe were invited to participate in a seminar on the topic What are the limits to the evolutive interpretation of the Convention?.
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Costa and Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, addressed an audience of about 300, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
Speech by President Jean-Paul Costa
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2010
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The judicial year of the Court opened on 29 January 2010. One hundred and fifty leading judicial figures from across Europe were invited to participate in a seminar on the topic The Convention is yours.
Video of the seminar: Original language - English - French
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Costa and Mr Jean-Marc Sauvé, Vice-President of the French Conseil d’Etat addressed an audience of about 250, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
Speech by President Jean-Paul Costa
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2009
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court marked the official opening of the judicial year on Friday 30 January 2009. The event began with a seminar on 50 years of the Court viewed by its fellow international Courts.
Solemn hearing
The judicial year of the Court opened on 30 January 2009, officially marking the start of the Strasbourg Court’s 50th anniversary year.
Speech by President Jean-Paul Costa
Video of the ceremony: Original language - English - French
2008
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court marked the official opening of the judicial year on Friday 25 January 2008. The event began with a seminar on The role of consensus in the system of the European Convention on Human Rights, at which the keynote speakers were Mr John L. Murray, Chief Justice at the Supreme Court of Ireland, Mr Paul Martens, Judge at the Belgian Constitutional Court, and Mr Peter Paczolay, Vice-President of the Hungarian Constitutional Court. 150 leading figures from the European judicial sphere attended the seminar.
Solemn hearing
The seminar was followed by a formal ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year, at which the President of the Court, Mr Jean-Paul Costa, and Ms Louise Arbour, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, addressed an audience of some 250 representatives of the judicial sphere and national and local authorities.
2007
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court marked the official opening of the judicial year on Friday 19 January 2007. The event began with a seminar on The European Convention on Human Rights between international law and constitutional law.
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Jean-Paul Costa addressed an audience of about 230, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
2006
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court marked the official opening of the judicial year on Friday 20 January 2006. The event began with a seminar on Execution and effects of the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights: the role of the judiciary.
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Luzius Wildhaber addressed an audience of about 230, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
2005
Seminar - Dialogue between judges
The Court marked the official opening of the judicial year on Friday 21 January 2005. The event began with a seminar on Most significant or critical issues arising out of the European Court of Human Rights and its case-law.
Solemn hearing
At the solemn hearing which followed the seminar, President Luzius Wildhaber addressed an audience of about 230, including many representatives of judicial institutions and national and local authorities.
