[ycombinary]

European governments regularly lose cases brought by individuals in both domestic and European courts; below are some well-known examples across different countries and legal issues.

E.g.

Broniowski v. Poland (ECtHR, 2004)

Doğan and Others v. Turkey (ECtHR, 2004)

Hirst v. United Kingdom (No. 2) (ECtHR, 2005)

Scoppola v. Italy (No. 3) (ECtHR, 2012)

KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland (ECtHR, 2024)

These judgments show that individuals and civil society groups can hold European states accountable for violations involving property, voting, asylum, climate, and broader rule‑of‑law issues.

They often lead to legislative change, financial compensation, or policy reversal, and many are used as precedent by lawyers and activists in new cases across Europe.

[amrocha]

I’m not a lawyer, and many of these cases are not famous enough to be reported on in a format easily understandable to a layperson. I’m also not going to read through case resolutions to respond to a hacker news comment. I did take a cursory look at the examples you wrote though.

I will admit that my original statement lacks nuance, which makes it easy to nitpick.

Having read some of your cases though, a pattern emerged: it’s usually supra national organizations adjudicating these cases, and the nations are not bound by the rulings.

For example, in Hirst vs UK it was ruled that it’s a violation of human rights to deny prisoners the vote, and yet the UK government deliberately ignored that ruling and as a result prisoners still can’t vote in the UK. Not to mention that when this case was brought up in a UK court it was dismissed.

[ycombinary]

Hirst v United Kingdom (No 2) (2005) ECHR 681 is a European Court of Human Rights case, where the court ruled that a blanket ban on British prisoners exercising the right to vote is contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights. The court did not state that all prisoners should be given voting rights. Rather, it held that if the franchise was to be removed, then the measure needed to be compatible with Article 3 of the First Protocol, thus putting the onus upon the UK to justify its departure from the principle of universal suffrage.

There are numerous examples of citizens winning court cases against the government.

Take the just the uk, three examples:

Anti‑protest regulations (Liberty v Home Secretary)

Air pollution litigation (ClientEarth v UK Government)

Rwanda asylum plan (AAA & Others v Secretary of State

Windrush - Members of the Windrush have repeatedly challenged the Home Office over wrongful detention, removal, and denial of rights, leading to government admissions of unlawfulness and an official apology in 2018.

Your claim is false. The world is not the same the world over, civil liberties are better in some places than in others.

[amrocha]

Sure, and after all these cases what happened?

Prisoners still can’t vote, people are getting arrested for peacefully protesting holding signs, and the Rwanda ruling was overruled by parliament and the only reason the plan was stopped is because the PM changed.

[ycombinary]

'Prisoners still can’t vote' - you don't appear to be able to read.

People have been arrested for peacefully holding signs, but they haven't just permanently disappeared.

I'm bored. The grey has shades, only children see in black and white.

[amrocha]

Read up on the cases you posted. The UK deliberately ignored the EU ruling. You probably know how to read but research might not be your forte.