Another important distinction that must be grasped when considering EU institutions is the difference between the (EU) European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the (non-EU) European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
As we stated before, the ECJ is a formal EU institution that presides over EU law.
The ECHR, however, is a legal body created to enforce the European Convention on Human Rights, a convention to which member states of the Council of Europe are signatories.
It is important to remember that…
- The ECJ enforces the treaties of the EU and IS an EU institution
- The ECHR enforces a convention of the Council of Europe and is NOT a EU institution
… and the two are not connected!!
Watch this informative video on the ECHR. A link to the video can also be found at ECHR