Jacob Söderman elected to a group deliberating the reform of the European Court of Human Rights

Press release 279/2005
14 September, 2005


Finland’s candidate Jacob Söderman was elected today to a working group of 11 people deliberating the reform of the European Court of Human Rights. The decision was made by the European Council’s Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg, France.

The European Council Summit made last May a decision to establish a so-called group of the wise to deliberate the reform of the European Court of Human Rights. The goal of the reform is to make the operation of the European Court of Human Rights more efficient, and to secure that it will maintain its ability to operate even in the future.

Söderman acted as the first European Ombudsman in 1995-2003, and before that he had acted as, among other things, Member of the Finnish Parliament, Minister of Justice, and Parliamentary Ombudsman.

Additional information: Director Johanna Suurpää, Unit for Human Rights Policy, tel. +358 9 160 56551, and First Secretary Jouni Laaksonen, tel. +358 9 160 55323