President Síofra O’Leary - ECHR - ECHR
Presidency of the Court
Síofra O’Leary
Born on 20 September 1968 in Dublin, Ireland
- Bachelor of Civil Law, University College Dublin, Ireland, 1986-1989
- PhD, European University Institute, Florence, Italy, 1989-1993
- Visiting Fellow and Research Associate, Department of Public International Law, University of Cádiz, Spain, and Institute for Public Policy Research, London, United Kingdom, 1994-1996
- Assistant Director of the Centre for European Legal Studies, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1995-1996
- Fellow of Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, 1995-1996
- Visiting Fellow, Faculty of Law, University College Dublin, Ireland, 1999-2004
- Référendaire, Chef de Cabinet and Head of Unit, Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg, 1996-2015
- Visiting Professor, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium, since 2003
- Member of the Editorial Board of the Common Market Law Review, 2012-2015
- Member of the Advisory Boards of the Common Market Law Review and the Irish Centre for European Law
- Honorary Bencher of the Honorable Society of the King’s Inns, Ireland
- Judge of the European Court of Human Rights since 2 July 2015
- President of Section from 1 January 2020 to 31 October 2022
- Vice-President of the Court from 2 January to 31 October 2022
- President of the Court since 1 November 2022.
Election of the President
The plenary Court elects its President for a period of 3 years.
The President directs the work and administration of the Court. He represents the Court and, in particular, is responsible for its relations with the authorities of the Council of Europe. The President presides at plenary meetings of the Court, meetings of the Grand Chamber and meetings of the panel of 5 judges.
Official visits
Visit by the French Minister Delegate for Territorial Organisation and the Health Professions
On 10 July 2023 Agnès Firmin le Bodo, French Minister Delegate for Territorial Organisation and the Health Professions, attached to the Minister for Health and Prevention, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the Secretary General of the European Judicial Training Network
On 10 July 2023 Ingrid Derveaux, Secretary General of the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland
On 4 July 2023 Jacek Chlebny, President of the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the President of the Constitutional Court of Hungary
On 22 June 2023 Tamás Sulyok, President of the Constitutional Court 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.
Visit by the President of the Republic of Slovenia
On 21 June 2023 Nataša Pirc Musar, President of the Republic of Slovenia, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Marko Bošnjak, Vice-President of the Court, judge elected in respect of Slovenia, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Speeches by the President
President Síofra O’Leary delivered a keynote speech on The Reykjavík Summit and its impact on human rights protection in Europe at the 2023 HELP Network Conference which was held at the Palais de l’Europe, in Strasbourg, on 6-7 July 2023.
On 29 June 2023 President Síofra O’Leary delivered a speech during her exchange of views with the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg. She was accompanied by Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
On 14 June 2023 President Síofra O’Leary took part in a meeting of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ Deputies and delivered a speech on that occasion. She was accompanied by Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court.
President Síofra O’Leary delivered the opening speech at the Annual Forum of the Superior Courts Network (SCN) in the Human Rights Building, in Strasbourg, on 8 June 2023.
- Speech by President Síofra O’Leary (in French only)
On 8 June 2023 President Síofra O’Leary delivered a speech during her exchange of views with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg. She was accompanied by Georgios Serghides, judge elected in respect of Cyprus, and Peter Roosma, judge elected in respect of Estonia.
Events President
2nd Judicial Forum on “Gender Equality and the Western Balkans”
President Síofra O’Leary took part in the 2nd Judicial Forum Gender Equality and the Western Balkans in Belgrade on 2 June 2023. Ivana Jelić, judge elected in respect of Montenegro, Erik Wennerström, judge elected in respect of Sweden, Saadet Yüksel, judge elected in respect of Türkiye, Ioannis Ktistakis, judge elected in respect of Greece, and Kateřina Šimáčková, judge elected in respect of the Czech Republic, also attended the Forum.
Fourth Summit of the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe
On 16 and 17 May 2023 President Síofra O’Leary represented the Court at the 4th Council of Europe Summit in Reykjavik (Iceland). She delivered a statement on that occasion and held bilateral meetings with: Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic; Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova; Alexander de Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium; Andrej Plenković, Prime Minister of Croatia; Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Prime Minister of Iceland; Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of Ireland; Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister of Luxembourg; Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.