The Rights of Roma in European Courts

This essential volume shines a powerful new light on the potential-and limits-of litigation in achieving social change. With ground-breaking contributions on the decades-long struggle to combat Roma discrimination in the European courts, the book succeeds at two critical levels: offering an on-the-ground account of the strategic and doctrinal dimensions of Roma rights mobilization, while providing new theoretical insights on how courts shape movements for equality. In the end, it makes a compelling case that understanding how law treats the most marginalized among us holds profound lessons for the future of liberal democracy depends. It could not be more timely and urgent. * Scott L. Cummings, Robert Henigson Professor of Legal Ethics at the UCLA School of Law * This book on Roma rights litigation is necessary not only for researchers, practitioners and human rights activists but also for all those who care about social justice. The various chapters eloquently highlight the most relevant example of systemic discrimination and socio-economic deprivation existing at the heart of Europe, and analyse in depth the role of transnational and domestic advocacy and the answers given by the European courts to the Roma legal demands. The authors show how and why the strategic fight for the rights of the Roma populations, with its victories and shortcomings, is at the same time a fight for dismantling the 'European silence about race' and addressing extreme poverty, and social and political marginalization. * Marzia Barbera, Emerita Professor of Labour Law and Antidiscrimination Law, University of Brescia * This volume provides a new evaluation of Romani jurisprudence, pushing for a rethink of how critical Romani scholarship to date - particularly that by lawyers - has analysed and understood strategic litigation. It pushes the boundaries outwards of the scope of analysis and draws connections across the plane of Romani litigation that bring a fresh perspective. Neither wildly optimistic about the potential for human rights to address systemic discrimination and/ or polarized societies, nor unduly pessimistic about the tools to hand - this is a sober account that suggests the possibility of other approaches, grounded in careful analysis of what has been achieved to date and the opportunities missed. * Prof. Morag Goodwin, Chair in Global Law and Development Tilburg University *