New European Court of Human Rights Factsheets

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg has published a series of Factsheets that describe important jurisprudence of the institution on a number of subjects.

Recent additions include:

• Right to respect for family life of prisoners in remote penal facilities
• Independence of the justice system
• Use of force in the policing of demonstrations

The ECHR hears complaints from individuals living in any of the member states of the Council of Europe about violations of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Council of Europe is one of the continent's oldest political organizations, founded in 1949. It has 47 member countries. Canada is an observer.

The ECHR is not to be confused with 2 other major international courts based in Europe:

• the Court of Justice of the European Union, based in Luxembourg, which ensures compliance with EU law by EU members states and rules on the interpretation and application of the treaties establishing the European Union
• the International Court of Justice, the judicial organ of the United Nations, based in The Hague