Presidency of the Court
Síofra O’Leary
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 to 31 October 2022
- President of the Court since 1 November 2022.
Election of the President
The plenary Court elects its President for a period of 3 years.
The President directs the work and administration of the Court. He/she represents the Court and, in particular, is 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
Visit by H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
On 18 April 2024, His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Carlo Ranzoni, Judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by H.S.H. Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
On 18 April 2024, His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Carlo Ranzoni, Judge elected in respect of Liechtenstein, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by a delegation of the Constitutional Court of Latvia
On 18 April 2024 a delegation from the Constitutional Court of Latvia, headed by its President, Aldis Laviņš, paid a working visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Visit by a delegation of the Constitutional Court of Latvia
On 18 April 2024 a delegation from the Constitutional Court of Latvia, headed by its President, Aldis Laviņš, paid a working visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Visit by the Minister of Justice of Latvia
On 17 April 2024, Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Minister of Justice of Latvia, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Mārtiņš Mits, Judge elected in respect of Latvia, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the Minister of Justice of Latvia
On 17 April 2024, Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Minister of Justice of Latvia, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Mārtiņš Mits, Judge elected in respect of Latvia, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by a high-level delegation of judges from the United Kingdom Superior Courts
On 12 April 2024 President Síofra O’Leary received an official visit by a high-level delegation of judges from the United Kingdom Superior Courts, composed of: The Right Honourable Lord Philip Sales, Justice of the UK Supreme Court; The Right Honourable the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales; The Right Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland; The Right Honourable Lord Andrew Burrows, Justice of the UK Supreme Court; The Right Honourable Lord Justice James Dingemans, Court of Appeal Judge, England and Wales; and The Right Honourable Lord Raymond Doherty, Court of Session Judge, Scotland. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Visit by a high-level delegation of judges from the United Kingdom Superior Courts
On 12 April 2024 President Síofra O’Leary received an official visit by a high-level delegation of judges from the United Kingdom Superior Courts, composed of: The Right Honourable Lord Philip Sales, Justice of the UK Supreme Court; The Right Honourable the Baroness Carr of Walton-on-the-Hill, Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales; The Right Honourable Dame Siobhan Keegan, Lady Chief Justice of Northern Ireland; The Right Honourable Lord Andrew Burrows, Justice of the UK Supreme Court; The Right Honourable Lord Justice James Dingemans, Court of Appeal Judge, England and Wales; and The Right Honourable Lord Raymond Doherty, Court of Session Judge, Scotland. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Meeting with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
On 3 April 2024, President Síofra O’Leary has met Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s new Commissioner for Human Rights. Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Meeting with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
On 3 April 2024, President Síofra O’Leary has met Michael O’Flaherty, the Council of Europe’s new Commissioner for Human Rights. Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova
On 26 March 2024, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Diana Sârcu, Judge elected in respect of the Republic of Moldova, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit by the Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova
On 26 March 2024, Veronica Mihailov-Moraru, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, visited the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. Diana Sârcu, Judge elected in respect of the Republic of Moldova, and Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, also attended the meeting.
Visit to the French Conseil d’État
On 22 March 2024 President Síofra O’Leary led a Court delegation to Paris for a meeting with the French Conseil d’État. The delegation, composed of Georges Ravarani and Marko Bošnjak, Vice-Presidents of the Court, Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer, Pere Pastor Vilanova and Arnfinn Bårdsen, Section Presidents, and Mattias Guyomar, Judge elected in respect of France, was received by Didier-Roland Tabuteau, Vice-President of the Conseil d’État, and took part in roundtable discussions with members of the Conseil d’État.
Visit to the French Conseil d’État
On 22 March 2024 President Síofra O’Leary led a Court delegation to Paris for a meeting with the French Conseil d’État. The delegation, composed of Georges Ravarani and Marko Bošnjak, Vice-Presidents of the Court, Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer, Pere Pastor Vilanova and Arnfinn Bårdsen, Section Presidents, and Mattias Guyomar, Judge elected in respect of France, was received by Didier-Roland Tabuteau, Vice-President of the Conseil d’État, and took part in roundtable discussions with members of the Conseil d’État.
Visit by a delegation of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands
On 21 March 2024 a delegation from the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, headed by its President, Dineke de Groot, paid a working visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Visit by a delegation of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands
On 21 March 2024 a delegation from the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, headed by its President, Dineke de Groot, paid a working visit to the Court and was received by President Síofra O’Leary. During the visit the delegation took part in roundtable discussions with judges of the Court and members of the Registry.
Official visit by the President of Montenegro - 23 January 2024
Official visit by the President of Cyprus - 23 January 2024
Events President
President Síofra O’Leary delivered a speech on the occasion of her exchange of views with the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 10 April 2024. She was accompanied by Marialena Tsirli, Registrar of the Court, and Abel Campos, Deputy Registrar of the Court.
On 19 March 2024, President Síofra O’Leary took part in an exchange of views with the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR) meeting in session in Strasbourg. She was accompanied by Branko Lubarda, Judge elected in respect of Serbia, and Saadet Yüksel, Judge elected in respect of Türkiye.
On 15 March 2024 President Síofra O’Leary delivered a keynote address to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA), in Dublin, on the current challenges the European Court of Human Rights is facing.
On 7 March 2024 President Síofra O’Leary took part in the high-level conference on Activating the Protection of Fundamental and Human Rights at European Level, organised by the Law Department of the College of Europe and the Institute for European Law of KU Leuven /RESHUFFLE project, in Bruges (Belgium). She delivered the opening speech of the conference. Frédéric Krenc, judge elected in respect of Belgium, also took part in the conference.
On 9 February 2024, President Síofra O’Leary took part in a bilateral meeting with Alma Zadić, Minister of Justice of Austria, in Vienna. Gabriele Kucsko-Stadlmayer, Section President and Judge elected in respect of Austria, and Anne-Louise Bormann, Judge elected in respect of Denmark, also attended the meeting.
On 7 February 2024, President Síofra O’Leary took part in the International Conference on Justice, Future Generations and Environment organised in Paris by the French Constitutional Council and the Institute for Studies and Research on Law and Justice (IERDJ). She delivered a speech on that occasion. Mattias Guyomar, Judge elected in respect of France, also participated in the conference.