Oxford University Standard for the Citation of Legal Authorities

2.7 The European Court of Human Rights
2.7.1 Judgments of the European Court of Human Rights
For judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), cite either the 
official reports, the 
Reports of Judgments and Decisions
(cited as ECHR) or the 
European Human Rights Reports
(EHRR), but be consistent in your practice . Before 
1996, the official reports were known as 
Series A
and numbered consecutively . The 
EHRR series is also numbered consecutively, but from 2001 case numbers have been 
used instead of page numbers .
References to unreported judgments should give the application number, and then 
the court and the date of the judgment in brackets . When pinpointing, use ‘para’ or 
‘paras’ after a comma . Further information can be obtained from the ECHR website 
and the HUDOC database at 
www.echr.coe.int
.
Johnston v Ireland
(1986) Series A no 122
Osman v UK
ECHR 1998–VIII 3124
Balogh v Hungary
App no 47940/99 (ECtHR, 20 July 2004)
Omojudi v UK
(2009) 51 EHRR 10
2.7.2 Decisions and reports of the European Commission on Human Rights
Citations of decisions and reports of the European Commission on Human Rights, 
which ceased to function in 1998, should give the year of the decision in brackets, 
and then refer to the 
Decisions and Reports 
of the Commission (DR), or, for decisions 
prior to 1974, to the 
Collection of Decisions 
of the Commission (CD) . If available, a 
reference to a report of the decision in the EHRR is also acceptable, but if citing the 
EHRR for a decision of the Commission insert ‘(Commission Decision)’ after the 
rest of the citation . If the decision is unreported, give the application number, and 
then in brackets ‘Commission Decision’ and the date of the decision .

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X v Netherlands 
(1971) 38 CD 9
Council of Civil Service Unions v UK 
(1987) 10 EHRR 269 (Commission 
Decision)
Simpson v UK 
(1989) 64 DR 188
P v UK
App no 13473/87 (Commission Decision, 11 July 1988)