European Human Rights as Law: Popular Misconceptions

Welcome

The purpose of this blog is not to be rigorously academic. It is a series of articles commenting on various aspects of European Human Rights Law, specifically as laid out in the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and its interpretation by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), in a relativity accessible and conversational manner.

It is hoped that this blog will promote debate and raise awareness about what I see is the only way human rights is to be perceived, that is, existing only in law not in any abstract notion that human rights are inherent. Thinking about human rights in this way impedes popular understanding and is more likely to result in its negative perception in the popular media of what human rights law is about.

I believe that a strictly objective 'human rights as law' approach is the correct way they should be perceived in order to gain popular understanding in this fundamental area of law. Such a approach would make people aware that human rights law comes with limitations and do not, in any sense, only benefit criminals and terrorists.