For some time now, the European Court of Human Rights has been under substantial pressure. The Court has stumbled into a legitimacy crisis with regard to certain countries that needs to be taken seriously, since scholars warn that institutions with eroding legitimacy risk must demise or reform. The goal of this volume is to explore how widespread this critical attitude of the European Court of Human Rights really is. It also assesses to what extent such criticism is being translated into strategies at the political level or at the judicial level to bring about concrete changes in the dynamics...

This insightful book offers a critical reflection on the sustainability and effectiveness of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and its legacy over the last 70 years. Exploring the problems surrounding universality, proliferation and costs, it asks the provocative question, can we still afford human rights? Expert contributors illustrate the interdependence between these three key issues in an unprecedented way, addressing many of the contemporary criticisms voiced against the human rights system and the reasons for popular skepticism about human rights. In order to...