The quest for European consensus by the European Court of Human Rights in the cases concerning adoption of the children by the homosexual persons and couples

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHtR) uses several criteria/factors in determining the parameters of the margin of appreciation as to the definition or interpretation of a specific right or freedom defined in the European Convention on Human Rights. One of them is a European consensus among the state parties to the Convention. The way the ECHtR has implemented the methodology of finding this consensus has been clearly problematic. This applies especially to ECHtR's evaluation of the discriminatory practice of states under Article 14. Above all, it is unclear under what circumstances the ECHtR takes into consideration the practice of states. In addition, it is also unclear how it selects the comparative group of states and defines the specific threshold necessary for this consensus. It should be noted that the above considerations and remarks are fully justified in the light of the ECHtR's case law concerning the issues of adoption of children by homosexual persons (same-sex adoption).