European Court of Human Rights is an organ of the Council of Europe. The court rules on alleged violations of civil and political rights outlined in the European Convention on Human Rights. These include allegations of human rights abuses, discrimination, the improper conduct of trials, and the mistreatment of prisoners. The convention is an international agreement that was signed by the Council of Europe in November 1950, in the aftermath of World War II (1939-1945). The agreement came into force in September 1953. The European Court of Human Rights is made up of 46 judges, who serve nine-year terms. The court delivered its first judgment in 1959. Since then, the court has delivered more than 16,000 judgements. The court is based in Strasbourg, France.
See Europe, Council of.
