The European Court of Human Rights and Minority Rights: The 'Special Consideration' Standard in Light of Gypsy Council

On 14 May 2002, the European Court of Human Rights (Fourth Section), by a majority, declared an application by The Gypsy Council et al v the United Kingdom inadmissible. This article reviews that case as one example of recent pronouncements of the Court in matters related to minority rights &, in particular, in light of an emerging, but not yet consequentially applied, standard that would require domestic authorities to give 'some special consideration...to (the) needs &...different lifestyle' of members of minority groups when applying general laws. The particularities of the case will be placed in the context of the level of protection of specific minority rights by the European normative system governing human rights & slowly developing sensitivity to such issues by the Council of Europe's judicial body. In this context, Gypsy Council must be seen as an unfortunate setback. Adapted from the source document.