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On June 20 – 22 this year, the 6th conference of Chairpersons of Supreme Courts of Central and Europe took place in Belgrade (Serbia). In his report on the cooperation between national courts and the European Court of Human Rights, Rimvydas Norkus, Chairperson of Supreme Court of Lithuania, emphasised the importance of Protocol No 16 to the Convention.

The Chairperson of the cassation court pointed to the task of strengthening the courts’ cooperation, the relevance of which remains high today. According to Rimvydas Norkus, an additional official tool in this process would undoubtedly mean value added for the states. ‘Provisions of the latest procedures proposed are and can be interpreted in various ways, however, theoretical doubts and potential practical difficulties in the application of Protocol No 16 to the Convention should not deny the advantages of the procedure’, the Chairperson of Supreme Court of Lithuania noted in his report.

As a moderator of the discussion after the report, Rimvydas Norkus emphasised that Protocol No 16 was an excellent opportunity to deepen the understanding of human rights and their protection in the Europe, assisting the courts in ensuring closer communication, speeding up the proceedings, preventing violations of human rights at an early stage, and reducing the workload of the European Court of Human Rights the increase in which has become alarming. According to the Rimvydas Norkus, it will also contribute to the overall development of legal culture in Europe.

Sixteen states have signed Protocol No 16 to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms; six of them have ratified it. Lithuania was one of the first to ratify the Protocol. After it takes effect, the Supreme Court of Lithuania, the Constitutional Court and the Chief Administrative Court will be able to approach the ECHR requesting to give an advisory opinion on principal matters related to the interpretation of the rights and freedoms defined in the Convention or the Protocols thereto.