Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is the judicial arm of the Organization of American States' human rights system, established by the American Convention on Human Rights, which was adopted in 1969 and entered into force in 1978. The Court itself began hearing cases in 1979 and sits in San Jose, Costa Rica. It hears contentious cases referred to it by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights or by a state party, and issues advisory opinions on the interpretation of the Convention and other human rights instruments at the request of OAS member states or organs. Its jurisdiction binds only the states that have separately accepted it, which as of this entry excludes several OAS members, including the United States and Canada, who are members of the OAS and subject to the Inter-American Commission's review but have not accepted the Court's binding contentious jurisdiction. The Court has developed an influential body of doctrine on forced disappearance, reparations, and the concept of control de convencionalidad, under which domestic courts across the region are expected to interpret national law consistently with the Convention as the Inter-American Court has read it.