On 4 and 5 June 2026, the focal points of the Superior Courts Network, which comprises 112 member courts and eight observer courts, gathered in Strasbourg to share knowledge and advance judicial dialogue.
During the opening session, moderated by the Court’s Jurisconsult, Anna Austin, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, highlighted that such meetings are a practical expression of courts’ shared responsibility for applying the Convention, within a system where the European Court of Human Rights plays a subsidiary supervisory role while domestic courts are at the forefront. He added that this meeting is also an opportunity to develop working relationships and strengthen personal ties.
The President then referred to the topic of “Business and Human Rights”, a transversal theme for which a new page has been launched on the Court’s Knowledge Sharing platform. The President elaborated on how the Court has dealt with cases concerning business: cases brought by businesses challenging regulations, and cases concerning the State’s positive obligations to regulate business activities where they may have affected the rights of individuals.
In her introductory remarks, the Registrar of the Court, Marialena Tsirli, underlined that the Court has developed the doctrine of “positive obligations”, recognising that States are required not only to refrain from interfering with Convention rights, but also to regulate business actors in order to ensure their effective protection.
Samuel Vuelta Simon, Secretary of State for Justice of Monaco, and Gianluca Esposito, Director General of the Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law of the Council of Europe, also addressed the participants during the opening session.

• Introductory speech by President Mattias Guyomar

On 1-2 June 2026 the International Congress on the Rule of Law and Judicial Ethics took place at the National High Court of Brazil in Brasilia, assembling Presidents and Chief Justices’ of courts and jurisdictions from across the world, as well as distinguished academics. Hosted by the National High Court of Brazil and its Chief Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin and advised by a committee including Professor Margaret Satterthwaite (United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers) the Congress fostered dialogue among judges on the importance and relevance of ethical frameworks, including the 2002 Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct, as well as the necessity of adhering to the judiciaries’ essential values of independence, impartiality and equity. The eight roundtable events addressed different aspects of judicial ethics including on new challenges relating to social media and artificial intelligence. President Guyomar addressed the Congress on Judges and the Rule of Law, and Judicial Independence. The Congress also heard from Chief Justices from superior courts across Europe, South America and Africa, as well as Judicial representatives from other regional courts including the European Court of Justice and the Caribbean Court of Justice.

The Congress was an exceptional meeting at which the European Court participated fully in an international network expressing solidarity between judges. A report summarizing the key points and conclusions will be produced after the event.

On 29 May 2026, the sixth colloquium on the theme Dialogue between the European Court of Human Rights and academia, organised jointly by the Court, the Faculty of Law of the University of Strasbourg and the Carré de Malberg Institute, was held in Strasbourg with the participation of the Court’s President, Mattias Guyomar. Marko Bošnjak, Judge at the Court of Justice of the European Union and former President of the European Court of Human Rights, was also invited.

The following judges of the Court took part: Frédéric Krenc, judge elected in respect of Belgium and organiser of the colloquium; Diana Sarcu, judge elected in respect of the Republic of Moldova; Alain Chablais, judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein; Canòlic Mingorance Cairat, judge elected in respect of Andorra; and Hugh Mercer, judge elected in respect of the United Kingdom, alongside Professors Emeritus of the University of Strasbourg Florence Benoit-Rohmer (organiser of the conference) and Patrick Wachsmann, as well as Professors Matthieu Maisonneuve of the University of Aix-Marseille, Isabelle Rorive of the Free University of Brussels, Ledi Bianku of the University of Strasbourg (organiser of the conference), Peggy Ducoulombier of the University of Strasbourg, Marion Larché of the University of Lille, Dominic McGoldrick of the University of Nottingham and Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou of the University of Liverpool, as well as students and legal staff of the Court.

Mattias Guyomar delivered the opening address, emphasising the importance of dialogue between the Court and academia on human rights issues and outlining recent developments relating to the Court’s judicial activity.

During the conference, four major and topical themes were addressed by the Court’s judges and professors.

Judge Sarcu spoke on freedom of expression for judicial actors; Judge Chablais presented recent case-law on migration; Judge Mingorance Cairat addressed the subject of freedom of assembly and the suppression of protest; and Judge Mercer outlined the challenges facing sports arbitration in the light of fundamental rights.

Frédéric Krenc, judge elected in respect of Belgium, summarised the conclusions of this fruitful exchange between the Court’s case-law and academia.

On 27 May 2026, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, took part in the 45^th Mercredis du Conseil de l’Europe organised by the Council of Europe in partnership with the European Collectivity of Alsace, giving a talk on the theme of Climate justice: when citizens refer cases to the European Court of Human Rights.

The President explained how, faced with the challenges posed by climate change, the Court was now being called upon to rule on novel issues relating to State liability and the protection of present and future generations. He highlighted the three major rulings delivered by the Court in 2024: Duarte Agostinho and Others v. Portugal and 32 others, Carême v. France and Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland, emphasising that these cases had enabled the Grand Chamber to develop its case-law in a context marked by climate change, with important implications for the future of climate litigation in Europe.

The conference was also the occasion for an exchange with two academics whose research sheds light on the human, social and environmental aspects of climate change: Frédérique Berrod, President of the University of Strasbourg, and Dimitri Heintz, Environmental Health Specialist, CNRS-University of Strasbourg.

The Mercredis du Conseil de l'Europe are held once a month in order to raise awareness about the Council of Europe’s work and role, and to promote dialogue with the public.

On 15 May, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the 46 Council of Europe member States in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova. President Guyomar had the opportunity to exchange views with Sabine Monauni, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Environment and Culture of Liechtenstein; Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia; Xavier Bettel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg; Ervin Ibrahimović, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Montenegro; Lars Løkke Rasmussen, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Denmark; Andrii Sybiha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine; Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, and Attorney General Richard Hermer; Gunther Krichbaum, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany; and Audra Plepytė, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania.

On 15 May 2026, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, accompanied by the Deputy Registrar, Abel Campos, attended the 135th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the 46 Council of Europe member States, held in Chişinău, Republic of Moldova.

During the session, the foreign ministers adopted the Chişinău Declaration, which underlines the extraordinary contribution of the Convention system to the protection and promotion of human rights and the rule of law in Europe. The Declaration also reaffirms the central role of the Convention system in the maintenance and promotion of democratic security and peace throughout the continent. It reaffirms member States’ deep and abiding commitment to the Convention and their support for the independence of the Court and the integrity of the Convention system, while noting the need to balance the general interest of the community with individual rights.

The President of the Court took the floor to address the Committee of Ministers. Emphasising that the Court acts as a pillar of stability, he stressed that it remains firmly committed to the principle of subsidiarity and shared responsibility; attuned to present day conditions; and dedicated to institutional dialogue, while preserving its judicial independence.

He highlighted the impact of the Court’s work, noting that its judgments do not simply protect human rights: “They ensure accountability. Certify truth. Protect democracy and the rule of law. Defend State sovereignty. Provide redress to victims. Solidify peace.”

The President also underlined that the Court’s judicial independence lies at the heart of the Convention system. “It must be preciously guarded, at all times. Its credibility depends upon it. Its legitimacy depends upon it. Its viability depends upon it,” he said.

The 135th Session concluded with the transfer of the Presidency of the Committee of Ministers from the Republic of Moldova to Monaco.

• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar