european court of human rights
European Court of Human Rights. The judicial body of the Council of Europe. • The court was set up in 1959 and was substantially changed in 1994–1998. As of 2003, the court had 41 judges, each elected by the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly. The court adjudicates alleged violations of the civil and political rights enumerated in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.