On August 1 of this year, the 16th Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (hereinafter referred to as the Convention) came into force. The Republic of Armenia had ratified the Protocol back on October 27, 2016.
However, the entry into force of the Protocol was conditioned upon the agreement of ten High Contracting Parties to the Convention to assume the obligations enshrined in Article 7 of the Protocol.
This crucial document provides for cooperation between the highest judicial authorities of the member states that have ratified the Convention and the accompanying Protocol, and the European Court of Human Rights.
It allows the highest judicial authorities of member states to obtain advisory opinions from the Court on fundamental issues regarding the application and interpretation of the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Convention and its Protocols in cases pending before them.
It should be noted that the 16th Protocol has come into force for 10 countries, including Armenia, Albania, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Lithuania, San Marino, Slovenia, and Ukraine.