Verkiezing nieuwe rechters bij het Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens (en)

Press release - 043(2008)

23.01.2008

European Court of Human Rights : Election of five judges

Four new judges have been elected and the sitting judge in respect of Latvia has been re-elected to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has elected new judges in respect of Bulgaria, Ireland, Moldova and Turkey [1] .

The terms of office of the Bulgarian, Moldovan and Turkish judges will begin on 1 May 2008 and that of the Latvian judge on 1February 2008; that of the Irish judge takes effect immediately.

Judges are elected by the Assembly on the basis of lists of three candidates submitted by States which have ratified the European Convention on Human Rights. Under the present terms of the Convention, judges are elected for a six-year term of office and can be re-elected.

New judges

Bulgaria - Zdravka Kalaydjieva, born in Sofia in 1951; lawyer, member of the Sofia Bar Association since 1980; founder and board member of the non-governmental organisation "Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights"; regional coordinator of the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Judicial System Assessment Programme, 1999 to 2000.

Ireland - Ann Power, born in Dublin in 1962; advocate before the Superior Courts of Ireland, specialising in constitutional, asylum and humanitarian law; lecturer in human rights at King's Inns (Ireland), 1998 to 2003.

Moldova - Mihail Poalelungi, born in Corjova (Moldova) in 1962; judge and Vice President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Republic of Moldova, president of the Civil and Administrative Disputes Bench; arbitrator at the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) International Court of Conciliation and Arbitration; member of the Consultative Council of European Judges at the Council of Europe since 2000.

Turkey - Ay?e I??l Karakas, born in Istanbul in 1958; lawyer, member of the Istanbul Bar since 1991; professor of international law, specialising in human rights, and Director of the Research and Documentation Centre on Europe, Galatasaray University (Istanbul).

Re-elected judge

Latvia - Ineta Ziemele (Latvia), judge at the European Court of Human Rights since 27April 2005.

Further information about the Court can be found on its Internet site ( http://www.echr.coe.int ).

Press contacts

Emma Hellyer (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 90 21 42 15)

Stéphanie Klein (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 88 41 21 54)

Tracey Turner-Tretz (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 88 41 35 30)

Paramy Chanthalangsy (telephone: 00 33 (0)3 90 21 54 91)

The European Court of Human Rights was set up in Strasbourg by the Council of Europe Member States in 1959 to deal with alleged violations of the 1950 European Convention on Human Rights.

[1] . See full curriculum vitae of all the candidates

Council of Europe Press Division

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60

Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11

pressunit@coe.int

www.coe.int/press