The European Court of Human Rights (Elements of International Law)

The European Court of Human Rights, by Angelika Nussberger is the first title in a new series, The Elements of International Law. Providing a fresh, objective, and non-argumentative approach to the discipline of international law, this series is an accessible go-to source for practicing international lawyers, judges and arbitrators, government and military officers, scholars, teachers, and students.

In this volume, Professor Nussberger explores the Court's uniqueness as an international adjudicatory body in the light of its history, structure, and procedure, as well as its key doctrines and case law. This book also shows the role played by the Court in the development of modern international law and human rights law. Tracing the history of the Court from its political context in the 1940s to the present day, Nussberger engages with pressing questions about its origins and internal workings. What was the best model for such an international organization? How should it evolve within more and more diverse legal cultures? How does a case move among different decision-making bodies? These questions help frame the six parts of the book, whilst the final section reflects on the past successes and failures of the Court, shedding light on possible future directions.

Angelika Nussberger is Director of the Institute of Eastern European Law and Chair of Constitutional Law, International Law and Comparative Law at the University of Cologne. From 2011 until 2019 she was a Judge at the European Court of Human Rights, serving as vice president from 2017-2019. She was also a member of the ILO expert committee from 2004-2010 and a member of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Conflict in Georgia in 2009/2010.