Greek Lawyer Elected Judge to the European Court of Human Rights

Greek lawyer Ioannis Ktistakis, an Associated Professor of Law at Democritus University in Thrace, was elected Tuesday as judge to the European Court of Human Rights.

He was elected by the Council’s Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).

An announcement by PACE reads:

“Mr Ktistakis, having obtained an absolute majority of votes cast, is elected judge of the European Court of Human Rights for a term of office of nine years which shall commence no later than three months after his election.

“Judges are elected by PACE from a list of three candidates nominated by each State which has ratified the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Who is who

Kristakis was Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science and International Relations, Boğaziçi (Bosphorus) University, Turkey, Lecturer at the Greek National School for the Judiciary as well as Legal Consultant to the Greek National Commission for Human Rights.

Former memberships include the Executive Board of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Intolerance (EU), the Greek Equal Treatment Committee and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights.

During the last two decades, he has successfully defended 55 individual cases before the European Court of Human Rights, 3 of them before the Grand Chamber.

He has over 62 publications (in Greek, English and French) on issues related to environmental law, religious freedom, immigration law, procedures before international courts, and the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Committee of Social Rights.

European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights, based in Strasbourg, is an international court set up in 1959.

It rules on individual or State applications alleging violations of the civil and political rights set out in the European Convention on Human Rights.

Since 1998 it has sat as a full-time court and individuals can apply to it directly.

The Court examined hundreds of thousands applications since it was set up.

Its judgments are binding on the countries concerned and have led governments to alter their legislation and administrative practice in a wide range of areas.