18/01/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 15 January, after years of deadlock, Russia ratified Protocol 14 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which refers to reform of the European Court of Human Rights. The Council of Europe welcomed this “significant decision … of importance for the whole of Europe”. Through this ratification, “Russia is sending a strong signal of its commitment to Europe,” said Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland. The reform seeks to ensure the efficiency of the Court. It puts in place, inter alia, a simplified procedure for what are called repeat cases, improving the Court's efficiency by 20-25%. This new procedure will see admissible cases heard by a committee of three judges, rather than by a chamber of seven judges. Russia was the only one of the 47 Council of Europe states not to have ratified Protocol 14, thereby preventing this much-anticipated from coming into force. (B.C./transl.rt)