‘Impact’ strategy cutting ECtHR’s backlog
The European Court of Human Rights ECtHR) reduced its backlog of cases last year, according to its annual report.
The report shows that the court received 31,800 applications in 2025 – a 10% increase on the previous year.
The number of pending cases, however, fell by 11% to 53,450 in 2025, as the court increased the number of cases it decided by 5% to 38,500.
18-month target
The ECtHR has implemented an ‘impact’ strategy in recent years to deal with more important and complex cases.
The court’s president Mattias Guyomar said that the strategy had cut the average time taken to examine this type of application from 64 to 28 months, “bringing us closer to the ultimate goal of 18 months”.
The annual report said the processing of conflict-related inter-state cases – including those involving Russia – continued to be a priority.
Cases against Russia
In July last year, the ECtHR found that Russia was responsible for violating the right to life under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) by shooting down Malaysian Airlines passenger flight MH17 in 2014.
There are 12 conflict-related inter-state cases pending – including four being taken by Ukraine against Russia.
“Through its residual jurisdiction to deal with cases lodged against the Russian Federation prior to its expulsion from the Council of Europe, the court remains the only international court capable of engaging that state’s responsibility for serious violations of the rights guaranteed by the convention,” Guyomar stated.
Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh is Ireland’s judge on the court.