The President of the Court, Mattias Guyomar, addressed the Autumn Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on 28 September, taking place in Strasbourg from 28 September to 2 October 2026.

In his speech, President Guyomar highlighted that the judges elected in respect of each of the 46 member States of the Council of Europe are an essential link in the DNA chain of the Convention system, adding that their strong democratic legitimacy derives from their election by PACE.

He explained the Court’s efforts to increase the efficiency and visibility of its work and to make its judicial activities more accessible. He underlined that the Court carries out its judicial work in full independence and continues to apply judicial pragmatism by interpreting the text of the Convention in light of the specific context of each case.

President Guyomar also highlighted the Court’s role in ensuring Russia’s accountability, referring to the historic inter-State judgment in the case of Ukraine and the Netherlands v. Russia, and stressed that the Court’s work on ensuring Russia’s accountability in this regard will continue.

Citing recent rulings, the President of the Court stressed that they reflect the mutual confidence between the Court and the domestic superior courts, while also noting that the principle of shared responsibility requires the Court to exercise its supervisory role.