THE ADMISSIBILITY CRITERION UNDER ARTICLE 35(3)(b) ECHR: A 'SIGNIFICANT DISADVANTAGE' TO HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION?

The purpose of this contribution is to provide a critical overview of issues of principle related to the 'significant disadvantage' admissibility criterion under 35(3)(b) ECHR, in light of the ongoing debate on the Court's reform. It argues that the admissibility criterion: undermines direct access to justice at the international level; affects the right of individual petition to the Strasbourg Court; constitutes a misunderstanding of the subsidiarity principle within the Convention machinery; urges the Court to consider the merits during the admissibility stage in a sensitive area of adjudication such as human rights; and entails the risk of an indirect classification of rights on the basis of the financial damage suffered by the applicant. The article links these points with the discussion on the Court's reform and considers alternative proposals to reduce its workload. It concludes by underlining that the 'significant disadvantage' criterion could be a suitable opportunity to address questions related to the Court's legitimacy, including the ECtHR's precise role and function within the Convention.