This is the major human rights body for Europe (roughly the European Union countries plus others from Central and Eastern Europe). It has a Human Rights Directorate| (also a DGII web site here|) in Strasbourg but functions mainly through the European Court of Human Rights| and the former European Commission on Human Rights (ceased functioning in 1999) - set up as a result of the European Convention on Human Rights| of 1950. The Council's Web site has the Convention (and its protocols), as well as other human rights legal texts.
Use the Library catalogue to find specific reports from the Council. The majority are shelved at classmark INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CE (...) , First Floor. However, some of the more legal material is shelved in the Law section, also on the First Floor. The European treaty series is at INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CE (23), First Floor. The European social charter| is available via the Web and at INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CE (797), First Floor.
The Yearbook of the European Convention on Human Rights is shelved at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5132.A4195 Y31 on the First Floor. Also close-by is the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights:
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European Commission on Human Rights Decisions and reports ( -1998) at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5135 E81 (First Floor).
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European Court of Human Rights judgements and decisions at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5138 E81 (First Floor).
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European Court of Human Rights pleadings, oral arguments and documents at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5138 E81(First Floor).
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The European human rights reports, 1979- (from the European Law Centre) are at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5132 E81 (First floor).
The European Commission of Human rights ceased to function in October 1999 and was replaced by the new European Court of Human Rights.
The Human rights information bulletin (formerly Information sheet) at CE (R62), First Floor, reports on the Commission, the Court and the Council's activities on a semi-annual basis.
Human rights files are at INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CE (282/...), First Floor.
Some useful indexes are:
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Berger, V. Case law of the European Court of Human Rights. 3vols, 1960-95 at MAIN COLLECTION KJC5138 B49, First Floor.
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Gomien, D. Judgements of the European Court of Human Rights : reference charts : 1959-95 at INTERGOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS CE (781), First Floor.
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment| has a Web site with its reports (via HUDOC).
The Web site of the European Court of Human Rights| includes a list of pending cases and hearings with full-text versions of recent cases. Basic texts and press releases are also given. The Hudoc database| gives full texts of all judgements of the Court along with Council of Ministers resolutions and reports of the Commission (from 1959). It allows searching by case name, respondent, etc.
Although the Library has the publications of the Council of Europe, it has only a (generous) selection of its documents. These are to be found, in the human rights sphere, at the Human Rights Documentation Depository at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (17, Russell Square, London WC1B 5DR Tel: 0207 636 5802). This holds the Council's documents and has an on-line link to the Council's database in Strasbourg. As well as the Council's documentation and decisions, the European Commission's admissibility decisions are also available here. For a listing of the human rights documents put out by the Council, see:
Documentation sources in human rights. Council of Europe, 1998 at REFERENCE COLLECTION Z1039.C8.