The European Court of Human Rights is an international judicial body. It investigates cases on the basis of individual and group applications. However, by 1990 the applications to the Court could have only be sent by countries. Complaints must be signed, only in exceptional circumstances, the Court considers anonymous applications. The complaint should have detailed description of violated law. An appeal to the Court’s decision is possible only after all possibilities of justice in the country are tried. Time for sending an application passes after 6 months from the date of final decision which was made in the country.
Judges who form the backbone of the Court decide about the correctness of applications and further steps. Currently, there are 47 Judges of the Court appointed for six-year term who cannot opt out of this position. It is important that they do not represent the applicants, but make the decision on their own, in an independent way. They pronounce judgments against countries on behalf of which they were appointed. Depending on the tasks assigned, they are acting in different functions – they perform duties of a judge or prepare cases for consideration.
Their role is fully independent, contrary to the common view, the ECHR is not subject to the Council of Europe, and is fully independent.
The European Court of Human Rights is the guardian of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Under that name it has been functioning since 1998. Previously, the European Commission of Human Rights (from 1950) and Court of Human Rights (from 1959) worked in a similar way. The authority was established under the European Convention on Human Rights created by international agreement in 1950. Its Headquarter is in Strasbourg.