Hudoc

Echr Judgment

echr_judgment

Read-onlyIdempotent

Fetch the full text of one ECHR document by its itemid (from echr_search, e.g. "001-249132"). Returns the judgment/decision body converted to plain text, paged. Very recently published items (within a few days) sometimes have no converted text yet — the tool says so rather than returning nothing silently; echr_search's conclusion field is available immediately even then.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`itemid`	Yes	HUDOC itemid from echr_search, e.g. "001-249132".
`offset`	No	Character offset, for paging through a long judgment (default 0).
`max_chars`	No	Max characters to return (default 12000, max 40000).

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`text`	No	Plain-text slice of the judgment, converted from HUDOC's DOCX-to-HTML endpoint (present when found).
`found`	Yes	Whether converted full text was available. False is a normal outcome for very recently published documents, not an error.
`itemid`	Yes	The HUDOC document id requested.
`offset`	No	Character offset this slice starts at (present when found).
`reason`	No	Why no text was returned (present only when found is false).
`source`	No	Attribution string for the HUDOC database (present when found).
`message`	No	Plain-English explanation of the miss and what to do instead (present only when found is false).
`has_more`	No	Whether text remains beyond this slice (present when found).
`next_offset`	No	Offset to pass back to read the next slice, or null at the end of the document (present when found).
`total_chars`	No	Total length of the whole document in characters (present when found).
`citation_url`	Yes	Public hudoc.echr.coe.int URL for the document.
`returned_chars`	No	Length of the text slice returned (present when found).

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

First observedSep 22, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint, openWorldHint, idempotentHint, and destructiveHint=false, so safety is covered. The description adds valuable behavioral details: output is plain text, paging is supported, and the tool explicitly reports when text is unavailable for very recent items rather than returning nothing. This enriches the agent's expectations without contradicting annotations.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, front-loaded with the core purpose and a clear example, followed by a concise, relevant caveat. Zero wasted words; the structure leads with the most important information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The tool is simple (3 params, 1 required) and has an output schema, so return format is already specified. The description covers the key usage scenario (after echr_search), the paging behavior, and an edge case (recent items). Nothing essential for correct invocation is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so all parameters are already documented. The description reinforces that itemid comes from echr_search and mentions paging generically, but does not add new meaning beyond the schema. Baseline 3 is appropriate when the schema carries the parameter details.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool fetches the full text of one ECHR document by itemid, and explicitly ties it to echr_search with an example format. This distinguishes it from echr_search (which presumably returns metadata/search results) and other siblings.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It implies usage after echr_search ('from echr_search') and explains a caveat for recently published items, guiding when the full text might not be available. It doesn't explicitly state when not to use it, but the context is clear enough for an agent to route correctly.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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