- published: 09 Feb 2012
- views: 23642
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR; French: Cour européenne des droits de l’homme) in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or other contracting states, and the Court can also issue advisory opinions. The Convention was adopted under the auspices of the Council of Europe and all of its 47 member states are parties to the Convention. The court is not part of the European Union.
The Court was established on the 21 January 1959 by virtue of Article 19 of the European Convention on Human Rights when eight signatories acknowledged the jurisdiction of the Court. The function of the Court is "to ensure the observance of the engagement undertaken" by the contracting states in relation to the Convention and its protocols. The jurisdiction of the Court has been recognised by 47 European states. Under Protocol no.11 of the Convention, effective since 1 November 1998, the Court became full-time and the European Commission of Human Rights was abolished.
Human rights are commonly understood as "inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal (applicable everywhere) and egalitarian (the same for everyone). These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national and international law. The doctrine of human rights in international practice, within international law, global and regional institutions, in the policies of states and in the activities of non-governmental organizations, has been a cornerstone of public policy around the world. The idea of human rights states, "if the public discourse of peacetime global society can be said to have a common moral language, it is that of human rights." Despite this, the strong claims made by the doctrine of human rights continue to provoke considerable skepticism and debates about the content, nature and justifications of human rights to this day. Indeed, the question of what is meant by a "right" is itself controversial and the subject of continued philosophical debate.
European Court could mean:
"Man shall not live by bread alone
Lay not up your treasures upon earth"
Thousands listen to the master's words
Thrown to the wind 'cause their hearts were not present
People don't believe in miracles anymore
Human Rights
"Some foreign organization might be supporting you"
Lights, camera, stampede and looting
The powerful men and the saints wanted the leader
(Where are the) Human Rights?
The followers lost faith
Many who dreamt of power are destroyed
The press is a daily vampire
Street kids steal and they are mistaken
For the apostoles
During the riot an extermination group of policemen shoot
both
Lords and slaves want everything easily
Human rights
Clubbing and kicking
Blindfolded eyes
Human rights