ABSTRACT
The protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens and others within their jurisdiction is a fundamental duty of the state. In the majority of democratic states, fundamental rights are defined and protected by law under a written constitution. The attempt to protect human rights on an international level began with the founding of the League of Nations after the First World War and the imposition of certain safeguards of human rights in peace treaties negotiated after the war for the protection of minorities. Europe was one of the principal theatres of the Second World War, following which there was felt to be a great need for European political, social and economic unity. Those objectives were perceived to be promoted, in part, by the adoption of a uniform Convention designed to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The attitude of the United Kingdom courts towards the Convention was, in the past, the traditional one adopted in relation to treaties.
