The Concept of Democracy and the European Convention on Human Rights

The European Convention on Human Rights, for the most part, guarantees civil and political rights. It is a unique international instrument that provides what is widely regarded as the most effective trans-national judicial process for complaints brought by citizens and organizations against their respective governments. The aim of this article is to contribute to the continuing debate on the notion of democracy according to the European Convention on Human Rights. Not only has the Convention been a standard-setter in Europe, but it is also a source of inspiration in promotion of democracy and democratic values for other regions of the world. With this in mind, the article considers the appropriate elements of the Convention which directly concerns democratic values. To that end, the article critically examines the relevant Articles of the Convention on the notion of democracy as well as on the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights. Furthermore, in recent decades, the Convention has ma de a telling contribution in relatıon to transition to peace and democracy in the former communist Eastern European states.