African Court on Human Rights

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 486.

Inter-American Court on Human Rights

European Court on Human Rights

This court, located in Strasbourg, France, enforces the European Convention on Human Rights. Any person or organization whose rights have been violated by a Council of Europe Member State may seek recourse from the European Court, after exhausting all recourse in the courts of their country.

Established in 1979, this is an autonomous judicial institution of the Organization of American States. The Court's objective is the Application and interpretation of the American Convention on Human Rights and other related treaties. In contrast to the European Human Rights system, individual citizens of the OAS Member States are not permitted to take cases directly to the Court but must first lodge a complaint with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and have that body rule on the admissibility of the claim. If ruled admissible and the State is deemed at fault, the Commission will generally serve a list of recommendations to make amends for violations. Only if the State fails to abide by the recommendations will the matter be referred to the Court.

The protocol to the African Charter on Human Rights and Peoples' Rights calls for the establishment of an African Human Rights Court. Once the Court has been established, State Parties will be entitled to bring cases before the Court and the Court will also entitle particular NGOs and individuals to bring cases before it.