Human rights ~ the convention is 65 years old

3 September was the 65th anniversary of the coming into force, in 1953, of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, better known as the European Convention on Human Rights. 

Ahead of the anniversary, Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland said:
“The European Convention on Human Rights is a unique safety net protecting more than 830 million people.  Whether applied by national courts or the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, the Convention has changed people’s lives in many different ways across the whole continent.  It has played a key role in promoting stability and security in Europe over the last 65 years and, at a time when the continent is facing many serious challenges, its safeguards remain as crucial as ever.”

The Council of Europe is a separate entity to the European Union.  The Council was created in 1949 and is Europe's leading human rights organisation - Council of Europe in Brief.

The Convention has undoubtedly had a massive impact in numerous areas - Council of Europe: Impact of the Convention - including in relation to the United Kingdom.

The UK played a crucial part in the creation of the Convention and was the first nation to sign it.  It has bound the UK in international law since 3 September 1953.  In 1966 the UK government granted UK citizens the right of individual petition.  In 1998, Protocol 11 to the Convention made the right of individual petition compulsory.

On 1 October 2000, the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in the UK.  The Act has woven convention rights into the very fabric of our domestic legal systems.

Rightsinfo is an excellent source of material relating to human rights in the UK.

• Council of Europe
• European Convention on Human Rights
• European Court of Human Rights