The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is a court established as part of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms signed November 4, 1950, in Rome by the Contracting States of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe has grown from the original 10 signatories to 41, including countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union.
Any citizen who felt that a nation refused to rectify a violation of their rights as defined by the European Convention could appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Prior to November 1998, complaints were first heard by the European Commission of Human Rights, which would determine admissibility and encourage a "friendly settlement" between the individual and the nation.
Since November 1998, new cases are submitted directly to the European Court.
The ECHR has become a tool of liberals to advance their agenda. For example, in 2018, it ruled against a pro-life German activist, stating that it was legal and "necessary in a democratic society" to censor his view that abortion is murder, even though the court admitted that his rights were being violated in the process.[1]