On 13 November, the President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, participated in the colloquium of the Network of Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union held in The Hague from 13 to 15 November. He addressed participants on the topic of the contribution of international and national courts and tribunals to the rule of law, alongside Yuji Iwasawa, President of the International Court of Justice; Tomoko Akane, President of the International Criminal Court; and Lord Robert Reed, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Focusing on the role of the European Court of Human Rights in contributing to the rule of law, President Guyomar noted that the rule of law is explicitly mentioned in the Convention’s preamble. He added that the Court has consistently reiterated that the rule of law is “one of the characteristics of the common heritage of the member States of the Council of Europe,” of which “arbitrariness is the negation.” President Guyomar emphasised that by contributing to the protection of the rule of law, judges safeguard democracy.

President Guyomar also highlighted that the Court has identified specific rights that derive from the principle of the rule of law: individuals must have access to a court; national courts must be independent, impartial, and established by law; courts are required to give reasons for their decisions and respond to the parties’ key arguments; the actions of the authorities must have a legal basis; the rule of law also requires the guarantee of legal certainty; and authorities must respect the authority of a final judicial decision.

“It is important to bear in mind that democratic ideals nourish the ECHR system, just as the project to create a European space for the protection of fundamental rights strengthens democracy within the States that are part of it,” said President Guyomar, adding that the European Convention both protects individual rights and contributes to the vitality of the rule of law and the proper functioning of democracy.

• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar (13/11/2025) (in French only)
• Speech by President Mattias Guyomar (14/11/2025) (in French only)