NGOs and the Struggle for Human Rights in Europe

Loveday Hodson is a Lecturer in Law at Leicester University.

• 1 INTRODUCTION I. The Struggle for Rights II. The Struggle for Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights III. Vocabulary and Classification IV. Chapter Synopsis 2 THE LIMITS OF INDIVIDUALISM: NGOs AND THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS I. Introduction II. Individualism and the European Convention on Human Rights III. The Politics of Human Rights Litigation IV. NGOs and the International Human Rights Movement V. Beyond Individualism: A Fresh Approach to the European Convention on Human Rights VI. Conclusion 3 THE ROLE OF NGOs IN ECHR LITIGATION I. Introduction II. The Current Literature on NGOs and the ECHR III. A Brief Outline of the Adopted Methodology IV. The Incidence of NGO Involvement in the Sample Cases V. The Type of NGOs Involved in Litigation VI. The Type of Cases in which NGOs are Involved VII. The Success-Rate of NGO cases VIII. Conclusion 4 STATES OF IMPUNITY: THE ROLE OF NGOS IN ADDRESSING GROSS AND SYSTEMATIC VIOLATIONS OF THE CONVENTION I. Introduction II. The European Roma Rights Centre: Challenging Police Brutality Against the Roma III. The Kurdish Human Rights Project: Addressing Gross Human Rights Violations Against Turkish Kurds IV. Understanding the Involvement of NGOs in the Case Studies V. Recent Developments VI. Conclusion 5 'THE FIGHT THAT IS NEVER DONE': THE ROLE OF 'PURE HUMAN RIGHTS' ORGANISATIONS I. Introduction II. The AIRE Centre III. Liberty: Challenging Criminal Justice Reforms IV. Recent Developments V. Conclusion 6 'A DESIRE THAT NEVER ENDS': PRESSURE GROUPS AND THE EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS I. Introduction II. 'PESUE' and the Right to Family Life III. Stonewall: Lobbying for Gay Rights IV. Greenpeace and Environmental Rights V. Recent Developments VI. Conclusion 7 CONCLUSION I. Introduction II. The Research Findings III. The Limitations of NGOs as Litigators IV. Concluding Observations APPENDIX A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ADOPTED METHODOLOGY I. Introduction II. The Aims and Scope of the Research Project III. The Sample Analysed IV. The Quantitative Stage: Identifying NGO Participation V. The Qualitative Stage: Understanding NGO Participation VI. Final Observations

This very readable book makes a convincing case that NGOs are a necessary part of the picture of the operation of the ECHR....an interesting and valuable contribution to knowledge of the ECHR [and] an engagingly written, well-researched book that is well worth reading.