Table of Contents
Introduction . . . 7
Chapter i The Origins of the European Convention on Human Rights . . . 11
Introductory Remarks . . . 11
1. The Development of the Convention – Disputes and Compromises . . 12
2. The Development of the ECHR System . . . 25
3. The Evolution of the Mechanism of ECHR Implementation . . . 29
Chapter ii The Principles of the ECHR and its Interpretation by the Strasbourg Court . . . 35
Introductory Remarks . . . 35
1. The ECHR Principles and the Process of the Convention’s Constitutionalisation . . . 38
2. Interpretation of the ECHR by the European Court of Human Rights . . . 56
3. Mutual Relationships Between the Principles and Methods of ECHR Interpretation . . . 63
Conclusions . . . 69
Chapter iii The Convention as a “Living Instrument” . . . 73
Introductory Remarks . . . 73
1. The Scope, Conditions of Use and Functions of Evolutive Interpretation . . . 77
2. Use of the Evolutive Method and the Principles of Interpretation Defined in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties . . . 80
Conclusions . . . 82
Chapter iv On the Judicial Activism of the ECtHR . . . 85
Introductory Remarks . . . 85
1. The Faces of Strasbourg Activism . . . 86
2. Criticism of the ECtHR’s Judicial Activism . . . 93
3. The Risks Associated with the Activism of the ECtHR . . . 98
4. Judicial Activism and the Problem of the Court’s Legitimacy . . . 101
Conclusions . . . 103
Chapter v The Margin of Appreciation Doctrine and its Theoretical Aspects . . . 105
Introductory Remarks . . . 105
1. The Critique and the Defence of the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine 106 2. The Theoretical Approach to the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine . . . 113
3. A Model Construction of the Margin of Appreciation Doctrine . . . 116
Conclusions . . . 125
Chapter vi The Limits and Supervision Over the Margin of Appreciation, the Problem of the Threshold of Compliance with the ECHR . . . 127
1. Observations on Demarcating the Limits of the Margin of Appreciation 127 2. Supervision Over the National Authorities’ Margin of Appreciation . 134 3. The Margin of Appreciation Doctrine and the ”Compliance Threshold” with the Material Provisions of the ECHR and its Protocols . . . 146
Conclusions . . . 155
Chapter vii The Significance of the Principle of Consensus in the Interpretation of the ECHR . . . 157
Introductory Remarks . . . 157
1. The Principle of Consensus in the Court’s Case Law . . . 160
2. The Principle of Consensus and Discretion on a National Level . . . 164
3. The Function of the Principle of Consensus . . . 165
4. Justification and Criticism of the Principle of Consensus . . . 167
Conclusions . . . 172
Chapter viii About the Theory of Interpretation of the ECHR . . . 175
1. Approaches to the Research on the Interpretation of the ECHR . . . 175
2. Letsas’ Liberal Approach to Interpretation of the ECHR . . . 182
3. Problems of the Theory of ECHR Interpretation . . . 190
Conclusions . . . 197
Conclusions . . . 199
Bibliography . . . 203
Table of Cases (ECtHR’s Judgements). . . 215
List of abbreviations . . . 219
