Russian parliament approves Strasbourg Court reform

[Kshasty]

Source: RIA Novosti

The lower house of the Russian parliament on Friday ratified Protocol 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, opening the way for European Court of Human Rights reform.

Protocol 14, designed to simplify and speed up the work of the ECHR, had previously been signed and ratified by all Council of Europe member states except Russia.

The protocol was introduced to help the court cope with the growing backlog of complaints, nearly one-third of them filed against Russia.

Moscow has often criticized the court's rulings against it as political.

The Council of Europe welcomed Russia's ratification.

CoE Secretary General Torbjorn Jagland said the ratification would be important "for the whole of Europe," strengthening the Court's role in upholding human rights across Europe.

Read more: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20100115/157558460.html

[bemildred]

1. Good for Russia.

:applause: