Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an international tribunal that interprets and applies the American Convention on Human Rights and other regional human-rights instruments. It issues binding judgments in cases involving states that have accepted its jurisdiction.

Contentious jurisdiction: A court's authority to decide disputes between parties and issue binding judgments. The Court exercises this authority only under defined conditions, including a state's acceptance.
Organization of American States: A regional organization founded in 1948 to promote cooperation among states in the Americas. The Court is an autonomous judicial institution within the OAS system.
Velásquez Rodríguez v. Honduras: A 1988 Inter-American Court judgment holding Honduras responsible for the forced disappearance of Manfredo Velásquez. It established influential standards for investigating disappearances and attributing state responsibility.
Conventionality control: The review of domestic laws and actions for compatibility with the American Convention on Human Rights. The Court's doctrine calls on national authorities to align domestic law with Convention standards.
Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: An autonomous organ of the Organization of American States that promotes and protects human rights in the Americas. Unlike the Court, the Commission investigates petitions, issues recommendations, and can refer cases.
Advisory opinion: A formal legal interpretation issued by a court in response to an authorized request, without deciding a contentious case. The Court also interprets regional instruments through opinions requested by OAS members and organs.
American Convention on Human Rights: A 1969 regional treaty establishing human-rights obligations for states in the Americas. The Convention provided the legal basis for establishing the Court.
Barrios Altos v. Peru: A 2001 Inter-American Court judgment finding Peru's amnesty laws incompatible with the American Convention. The Court held that laws shielding grave human-rights violations from investigation and punishment lacked legal effect.
Forced disappearance: The abduction or detention of a person by state agents or their proxies, followed by concealment of the person's fate or whereabouts. The Court's jurisprudence helped establish that disappearance can entail continuing violations and investigative duties.
European Court of Human Rights: An international court that rules on alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights. It is a parallel regional court, but operates under a different treaty and procedure.

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