Doc. 11029
21 September 2006

Revision of Model Curriculum Vitae of Candidates for the European Court of Human Rights: Linguistic Requirements

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mrs Bemelmans-Videc and others

1.       The Parliamentary Assembly stresses the importance, for the election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights, of the model curriculum vitae introduced by Resolution 1082 (1996), revised by Resolution 1200 (1999), requiring candidates to provide detailed information on, inter alia, their language skills.

2.       In earlier resolutions and recommendations, the Assembly had stipulated the need for candidates to be proficient in at least one of the two official languages of the Council of Europe (see Resolution 1366 (2004), § 3.a and Recommendation 1429 (1999), §§ 5.iv & 6.iv).

3.       Experience has shown that at least a passive knowledge of the other official language would be appropriate in order to enable all judges to fully exercise their responsibilities.

4.       This will be especially important after the entry into force of Protocol No 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights, following which single-judge formations and committees of three judges will, in specific cases, take decisions which have hitherto been taken, respectively, by committees of three judges and Chambers of seven judges.

5.       The Assembly agrees with the recommendation of The Right Honourable Lord Woolf that intensive language training for certain new judges may be needed, thereby ensuring that they are able to carry out their rapporteurship duties and contribute fully to deliberations leading up to a final judgement.

6.       Consequently, the Assembly resolves:

6.1.       to stipulate as a minimum requirement the need for all candidates to possess an active knowledge of one of the official languages of the Council of Europe, and a passive knowledge of the other, and

6.2.       to review the current model curriculum vitae in such a way as to clearly reflect this minimum requirement and determine how best the Assembly will be able to assess whether this requirement is fulfilled.

Signed ¹:

BEMELMANS-VIDEC, Marie-Louise, Netherlands, EPP/CD

ATEŞ, Abdülkadir, Turkey, SOC

CHOPE, Christopher, United Kingdom, EDG

CHRISTMAS-MØLLER, Pia, Denmark, EPP/CD

CILEVIČS, Boriss, Latvia, SOC

FRUNDA, György, Romania, EPP/CD

GARDETTO, Jean-Charles, Monaco, EPP/CD

GREBENNIKOV, Valery, Russian Federation, EDG

JURGENS, Erik, Netherlands, SOC

KELEMEN, András, Hungary, EPP/CD

LEUTHEUSSER-SCHNARRENBERGER, Sabine, Germany, ALDE

LLOYD, Tony, United Kingdom, SOC

MANZELLA, Andrea, Italy, SOC

MARTY, Dick, Switzerland, ALDE

MERCAN, Murat, Turkey, EPP/CD

MOONEY, Paschal, Ireland, ALDE

PFLUG, Johannes, Germany, SOC

POURGOURIDES, Christos, Cyprus, EPP/CD

STĂNOIU, Rodica Mihaela, Romania, SOC

Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD

¹     SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group