European Convention on Human Rights

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) (formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is an international treaty to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe

Drafted in 1950 by the then newly formed Council of Europe the convention entered into force on September 03,1953

All Council of Europe member states are party to the Convention and new members are expected to ratify the convention at the earliest opportunity

The European Convention is still the only international human rights agreement providing such a high degree of individual protection

The European Convention on Human Rights established  in January 1959 an international court,The European Court of Human Rights
 

It hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights provisions concerning civil and political rights set out in the Convention and its protocols

 An application can be lodged by an individual, a group of individuals or one or more of the other contracting states, and, besides judgments, the Court can also issue advisory opinions.

 The Convention was adopted within the context of the Council of Europe and all of its 47 member states are contracting parties to the Convention.

The Court is based in Strasbourg,France