The first session of the European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is an international body whose jurisdiction covers all European Council states that ratified the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. It hears cases connected with interpreting the convention including disputes between countries and private suits. The world community highly appreciates the court’s contribution to the endorsement of convention principles. After the historic changes in Eastern Europe of the 1980s and 1990s ECHR started experiencing difficulty processing an increased number of claims. Following that the court had to be reformed in late 1998 to increase its productivity. ECHR issues over a thousand decisions annually.