The president of the European Court of Human Rights and other senior members are visiting Dublin on Thursday.
The visiting delegation comprises six members of the Strasbourg-based court, including Irish judge elected Ms Justice Siofra O’Leary, who will succeed outgoing president Robert Spano on November 1st, becoming the court’s first female president.
The two-day visit begins with a series of meetings with senior members of the Irish judiciary, focused on the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights. They will also participate in a conference at DCU on Friday, entitled Human Rights in a Time of Change: Perspectives from Ireland and from Strasbourg.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, who is the current chair of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, will host a dinner this evening in honour of the delegation at Iveagh House.
Chief Justice Donal O’Donnell said the protection of rights “is, if anything, more pressing than it was almost 70 years ago when Ireland ratified the convention”.
“The visit is particularly welcome as it comes soon after the announcement of the election of Judge O’Leary as the next president of the European Court of Human Rights,” he said.
“Judge O’Leary is both the first woman and the first Irish person to be elected president of an institution which has jurisdiction in respect of 46 member states with a population of 675 million.
“This visit of president Robert Spano, president-elect Síofra O’Leary and senior members of the European Court of Human Rights to Dublin during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of Europe is a truly historic event.
“There is a strong relationship of respect and cooperation between the Irish courts and the European Court of Human Rights.”
Mr Spano said dialogue with national courts was part of the “DNA of the European Court of Human Rights”.
“Formal dialogue occurs first and foremost through judgments of Strasbourg and the national courts. Bilateral visits such as this one with the Irish Supreme Court are also crucial in strengthening our on-going conversation on human rights protection and helping us to understand your national context in more depth,” he said.
“This is why I am extremely pleased to be part of this timely visit of the court to Ireland, accompanied by the next president, and the first Irish president of the court, Judge Síofra O’Leary, and colleagues.”
