Authors

Hanna Oliinyk¹;  ¹ University of Oxford, UK

Discussion

This paper examines the experiences of selected applicants and lawyers from Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Romania, and Russia as they navigate the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) system. Through a comparative lens, it explores the motivations driving individuals to seek justice, the complexities of domestic legal processes, and the outcomes of their Strasbourg cases. The study investigates the intricate relationships between applicants, their legal representatives, and the ECtHR, highlighting the challenges faced in pursuit of justice. The title, drawn from an interview quote, underscores the significant impact of ECtHR decisions on the daily lives of those involved. To contextualize these experiences, the empirical data is analyzed using the theoretical framework of relational legal consciousness (Chua and Engel, 2019) and the ‘vertical’ and ‘horizontal’ perspectives on rights consciousness (Engel, 1998, 2012; McCann, 2012). This approach firmly situates the narratives within broader socio-legal scholarship. Drawing from a chapter in the book ‘Who are the humans behind Human Rights? Historical and comparative perspectives from Eastern Europe and Russia’ (HuRiEE Research Project), this presentation will primarily focus on the experiences of Ukrainian applicants to the ECtHR, while maintaining a comparative perspective with the other countries studied.