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At the meeting of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union with the President and judges of the European Court of Human Rights that took place in Strasbourg (France) on 2 June 2016, Rimvydas Norkus, President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania, emphasised the importance of a dialogue between the ECHR and national courts.

Rimvydas Norkus, who has been elected Vice-President and Board member of the Network of the Presidents of the Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union, underlined in his speech at the Strasbourg Court that the partnership of the ECHR and national courts is most tangible in the development of case law. National courts follow the interpretations of the Strasbourg Court, however, the ECHR should listen more attentively to the position of the Supreme Judicial Courts of Europe when deciding whether there is a consensus on a specific human rights' issue in Europe.

The main challenge for all European courts is an alarming grown in the number of cases. The head of the Lithuanian court of cassation noted that the work load of the ECHR is enormous nowadays. Although we can rejoice over the fact that Lithuanian courts lead in Europe by the speed of disposition of cases, it is not the case about the European Court of Human Rights. ‘If it takes ten years to get a judgment of the Strasbourg Court in some cases, the control exercised by this Court may seem too distant, even hypothetical,’ noted Rimvydas Norkus. '’That is why it is very important to talk about making administration of justice more efficient, about potential forms of non-formal cooperation of judges and the possibilities of implementing Protocol No 16 to the Convention,’ said the President of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

Lithuania is one of the first states that has ratified Protocol No 16 to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. As soon as this Protocol comes into force, the Supreme Court of Lithuania, the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania will be in the position to apply to the ECHR for a consultative opinion on the principal issues related to the interpretation of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or its protocols.

The meeting important for courts also discussed the difficulties encountered by national courts in predicting future directions of development of the case law of the Strasbourg Court, discussed the issues of application of the principle of subsidiarity and other issues relevant for Supreme Judicial Courts of the EU.

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