Presidency of the Court
President Síofra O’Leary
Síofra O’Leary was 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 2022 to 31 October 2022
- President of the Court since 1 November 2022.
The plenary Court elects its President for a period of 3 years.
The President directs the work and administration of the Court. They represent the Court and, in particular, are 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
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Visit by the Council of the EU Working Party on OSCE and the Council of Europe (COSCE)
23/03/2023
On 22 March 2023 a delegation of the Council of the EU Working Party on OSCE and the Council of Europe (COSCE), led by its Chair Ciara O’Brien, paid a visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. The delegation took part in an exchange of views with President O’Leary. Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
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Visit by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States
17/03/2023
On 16 March 2023, a delegation of the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), led by its President Edward Amoako Asante, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. The delegation took part in roundtable discussions with Arnfinn Bårdsen, Section President of the Court, judge elected in respect of Norway, and members of the Registry.
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Visit by delegations from the French Senate
17/03/2023
A delegation of the Laws Committee of the French Senate, headed by its President François-Noël Buffet, and a delegation of the Committee on European Affairs of the French Senate, headed by its President Jean-François Rapin, paid a working visit to the European Court of Human Rights on 13 March 2023. These delegations took part in roundtable discussions with President Síofra O’Leary and other judges of the Court.
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Official visit to Croatia
20/02/2023
On 16 and 17 February 2023 President Síofra O’Leary paid an official visit to Croatia. During this visit, she met Andrej Plenković, Prime Ministrer, Ivan Malenica, Minister of Justice and Public Administration, Radovan Dobronić, President of the Supreme Court, Miroslav Šeparović, President of the Constitutional Court, and Zlata Hrvoj Šipek, State Attorney General. She was accompanied by Davor Derenčinović, judge elected in respect of Croatia, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
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Visit by the President of Iceland
Speeches by the President
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Seminar: “Binding Force: Institutional dialogue between the ECHR and the Committee of Ministers under Article 46 of the European Convention"
28/03/2023
President Síofra O’Leary delivered an introductory speech at the seminar on the theme Binding force: Institutional dialogue between the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers under Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights which took place in the Human Rights Building on 23 March 2023.
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44th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
23/03/2023
On 22 March 2023 President Síofra O’Leary delivered a speech at the 44th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament in Strasbourg. She was accompanied by Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court.
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Exchange of views with the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO)
07/02/2023President Síofra O’Leary delivered a speech at the Exchange of views with the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) on 7 February 2023.
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Former Presidents
Since 1959, 15 judges served as President of the European Court of Human Rights. The President is elected for a three year term by the plenary Court, composed of 46 national judges.