The State Duma refused to ratify the protocol on the reform of the Strasbourg Court

The Russian State Duma on Wednesday refused to ratify the protocol #14 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, aimed at improving the efficiency of the European Court of Human Rights. 27 deputies voted for the ratification bill with the required minimum of 226 votes, Interfax reports.

Protocol number 14 increases the term of office of judges from 6 to 9 years. In addition, an additional criterion is introduced that allows the European court to recognize the complaint unacceptable depending on the significance of damage suffered by the applicant. The mechanism of "filtering" of obviously unacceptable complaints is also improved. The document was signed by Russia in Strasbourg on May 4, 2006.

The purpose of the protocol is to increase the efficiency of the ECHR in the context of a sharp increase in the number of complaints coming here in connection with the entry into new states.

To date, the protocol has been ratified by all states - members of the Council of Europe with the exception of Russia.

Earlier, the relevant State Duma Committee under the legislation issued a negative conclusion and suggested that the ward reject the document. According to his representative Dmitry Eremin, "some norms of the protocol cannot be recognized as acceptable for the Russian side." In particular, according to him, the deputies do not agree with the list of criteria for the unacceptability of the complaint. “The absence of significant damage to the applicant is a criterion that essentially proposes not a procedural, but a substantive assessment of this complaint,” the deputy emphasized.

In addition, according to the committee, "an increase in the term of office of judges is unreasonable."