European Court of Human Rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a contracting state has breached one or more of the human rights enumerated in the convention or its optional protocols to which a member state is a party. The court is based in Strasbourg, France.

Some of the key events about European Court of Human Rights

1959
The European Court of Human Rights was officially established
1959
Delayed implementation of its jurisdiction, limiting access to justice for individuals
1975
The Court ruled that corporal punishment in schools violated human rights
1975
Ruled against decriminalizing homosexuality in Northern Ireland, upholding discriminatory laws
1978
Failed to find a violation in a case of corporal punishment in schools, allowing the practice to continue
1981
The Court declared that criminalizing homosexual acts between consenting adults violated the right to privacy
1981
Dismissed a case challenging the UK's ban on trade unions at GCHQ, limiting workers' rights
1986
Ruled that the UK's interception of communications did not violate privacy rights, setting a concerning precedent
1989
The Court ruled that the UK's blanket ban on prisoners voting was unlawful
1995
The Court held that freedom of expression protects offensive and shocking speech
1998
Decided that the UK's "shoot to kill" policy in Northern Ireland did not violate the right to life
2001
Ruled that the UK's detention of suspected terrorists without trial was lawful, raising human rights concerns
2002
The Court ruled that the UK's blanket ban on transgender people changing their legal gender violated human rights
2005
The Court ruled that Turkey's headscarf ban in universities violated religious freedom
2005
Allowed Turkey to maintain its ban on Islamic headscarves in universities, limiting religious freedom
2007
Failed to find a violation in a case of extraordinary rendition, tacitly permitting the practice
2010
The Court ruled that the display of crucifixes in Italian classrooms did not violate religious freedom
2011
Ruled that crucifixes could remain in Italian classrooms, potentially compromising secular education
2014
The Court ruled that mass surveillance programs violate the right to privacy
2020
The Court ruled that climate change impacts human rights and governments have a duty to combat it

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