Official visits
Recent official visits
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Visit by the Council of the EU Working Party on OSCE and the Council of Europe (COSCE)
23/03/2023
On 22 March 2023 a delegation of the Council of the EU Working Party on OSCE and the Council of Europe (COSCE), led by its Chair Ciara O’Brien, paid a visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. The delegation took part in an exchange of views with President O’Leary. Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Visit by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States
17/03/2023
On 16 March 2023, a delegation of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by its President Edward Amoako Asante, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. The delegation took part in roundtable discussions with Arnfinn Bårdsen, Section President of the Court, judge elected in respect of Norway, and members of the Registry.
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Visit by delegations from the French Senate
17/03/2023
A delegation of the Laws Committee of the French Senate, headed by its President François-Noël Buffet, and a delegation of the Committee on European Affairs of the French Senate, headed by its President Jean-François Rapin, paid a working visit to the European Court of Human Rights on 13 March 2023. These delegations took part in roundtable discussions with President Síofra O’Leary and other judges of the Court.
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Official visit to Croatia
20/02/2023
On 16 and 17 February 2023 President Síofra O’Leary paid an official visit to Croatia. During this visit, she met Andrej Plenković, Prime Ministrer, Ivan Malenica, Minister of Justice and Public Administration, Radovan Dobronić, President of the Supreme Court, Miroslav Šeparović, President of the Constitutional Court, and Zlata Hrvoj Šipek, State Attorney General. She was accompanied by Davor Derenčinović, judge elected in respect of Croatia, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
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Visit by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary
15/02/2023
On 15 February 2023 Péter Szijjártó, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Péter Paczolay, judge elected in respect of Hungary, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Visit by the Attorney General of the United Kingdom
15/02/2023
On 15 February 2023 Victoria Prentis, Attorney General of the United Kingdom, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Tim Eicke, judge elected in respect of the United Kingdom, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Visit by the President of Latvia
13/02/2023
On 13 February 2023 Egils Levits, President of the Republic of Latvia, paid an official visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Mārtiņš Mits, Judge elected in respect of Latvia, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Visit by the President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine
27/01/2023
On 27 January 2023 Vsevolod Kniaziev, President of the Supreme Court of Ukraine, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Mykola Gnatovskyy, judge elected in respect of Ukraine, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Official visit by the President of Iceland - 7 December 2022
Official visit by H.M. The King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands - 23 June 2022
Official visit by the President of Portugal - 26 June 2019
Official visits in the member States of the Council of Europe
Official visit to Norway
On 11 and 12 May 2022 President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Norway. On that occasion, he was granted an audience with His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. During this visit, President Spano met Jonas Gahr Støre, Prime Minister, Emilie Enger Mehl, Minister for Justice and Public Security, Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and had a working meeting with Judges of the Supreme Court of Norway, led by Chief Justice Toril Marie Øie. He also gave a lecture entitled The European Court of Human Rights responding to backlash, populism and challenges to the rule of Law at the University of Oslo. President Spano was accompanied by Arnfinn Bårdsen, judge elected in respect of Norway, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
Robert Spano and Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
Supreme Court of Norway
Robert Spano and Marialena Tsirli
MarialenaTsirli, Robert Spano, Toril Marie Øie and Arnfinn Bårdsen
Robert Spano
Official visit to Finland
On 5 and 6 May 2022 President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Finland. During this visit, he met Anna-Maja Henriksson, Minister of Justice, Pekka Haavisto, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Tatu Leppänen, President of the Constitutional Court. President Spano also made the keynote speech Lawyers as the Guardians of the Rule of Law in Europe at the Lawyers’ Day. He was accompanied by Pauliine Koskelo, judge elected in respect of Finland, and Hasan Bakırcı, Section Registrar.
Official visit to Lithuania
On 28 and 29 April 2022, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Lithuania. On that occasion, he met Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic. During this visit, President Spano also met Evelina Dobrovolska, Minister of Justice, Danutė Jočienė, President of the Constitutional Court, Sigita Rudėnaitė, Chairperson of the Judicial Council, and Members of the Parliament. He was accompanied by Egidijus Kūris, judge elected in respect of Lithuania, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court. President Spano also delivered a speech on the theme Forging a culture of human rights in national parliaments at a Plenary Sitting of the Lithuanian Parliament, in Vilnius, on 28 April 2022.
Official visit to Italy
On 22 April 2022, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Italy. On that occasion, he met Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic. During this visit, President Spano also met Giuliano Amato, President of the Constitutional Court. He gave a lecture at the University of La Sapienza on the rights of vulnerable people. President Spano was accompanied by Raffaele Sabato, judge elected in respect of Italy, and Patrick Titiun, Head of the Private Office of the President.
Official visit to the Vatican
On 7 April 2022, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to the Vatican. On that occasion, he was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis. During this visit, President Spano met Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State. President Spano was accompanied by Raffaele Sabato, judge elected in respect of Italy, and Patrick Titiun, Head of the Private Office of the President.
Official visit to Denmark
From 2 to 3 December 2021, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Denmark. On that occasion, he was granted an audience with Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark. During this visit, President Spano met Nick Haekkerup, Minister for Justice, Jeppe Kofod, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and had a working meeting with the Supreme Court of Denmark. He also gave a lecture at the Faculty of Law of the University of Copenhagen on the theme “What role for human duties, obligations and responsibilities in our European human rights discourse?”. President Spano was accompanied by Jon Fridrik Kjølbro, Vice-President of the Court, judge elected in respect of Denmark, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
Official visit to North Macedonia
From 4 to 5 November 2021, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to North Macedonia. On that occasion, he met Stevo Pendarovski, President of the Republic of North Macedonia. During this visit, President Spano also met Bojan Marichikj, Minister for Justice, Dobrila Kacarska, President of the Constitutional Court, and Besa Ademi, President of the Supreme Court. He also participated to a conference on Effective asset recovery in compliance with European standards. President Spano was accompanied by Jovan Ilievski, judge elected in respect of North Macedonia and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court.
Official visit to Sweden
From 27 to 29 October 2021, President Robert Spano paid an official visit to Sweden. On that occasion, he was granted an audience with His Majesty the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf. During this visit, President Spano met Morgan Johansson, Minister for Justice and Migration, Anders Eka, President of the Supreme Court, and Helena Jäderblom, President of the Supreme Administrative Court. He also participated to a seminar on The Interplay between the European Court of Human Rights and the National Courts at the Government Offices in Stockholm and to a seminar on Human Rights and Human Duties at the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice. President Spano was accompanied by Erik Wennerström, judge elected in respect of Sweden and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
Speech by President Robert Spano at Swedish Government Offices
Speech by President Robert Spano at the Stockholm Centre for International Law and Justice
Official visits to Montenegro and Serbia
04/03/2020
On 28 February 2020, President Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos paid an official visit to Montenegro. On that occasion, he was received by Milo Đukanović, President of Montenegro, and by Zoran Pažin, Deputy Prime Minister. During this visit, President Sicilianos met Vesna Medenica, President of the Supreme Court, and Desanka Lopičić, President of the Constitutional Court. He also participated to a round table on the Rule of Law and the European Court of Human Rights at the Montenegrin Academy of Science. President Sicilianos was accompanied by Ivana Jelić, judge elected in respect of Montenegro.
On 2 March 2020, President paid an official visit to Serbia. On that occasion, he met Dragomir Milojević, President of the Supreme Court of Cassation, and Snežana Marković, President of the Constitutional Court. President Sicilianos was accompanied by Branko Lubarda, judge elected in respect of Serbia.
Official visits followed by a solemn hearing
Official visit by H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
18/03/2019
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Norway paid an official visit to the European Court of Human Rights on 18 March 2019. After paying tribute to the Court’s former President Rolv Ryssdal (Norwegian), he had a meeting with the judges, then addressed an audience of dignitaries from judicial, political and diplomatic circles.
Webcast of the solemn hearing:
Official visit by the President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron
The President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, paid an official visit to the ECHR on 31 October 2017. He met the judges of the Court and addressed an audience made up primarily of judicial, political and diplomatic representatives.
This was the first time that a French President addressed the Court.
Visit by the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
On 27 March 2014, Their Royal Highnesses the Grand Duke and the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg made an official visit to the Court.
HRH the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and President Spielmann addressed a 250-audience on the occasion of a Solemn Session in the Court’s Hearing Room.
Speech by HRH the Grand Duke of Luxembourg (in French only)
