While 84 states have signed the agreement, only 4 formal ratifications have been made by August 1999. The European Court of Justice acts as a supra-national court for members of the European Union . The European Court of Human Rights settles claims made by individuals under the European Convention on Human Rights and other rights documents of the European Union . The Inter-American Court of Human Rights was created by the Organization of American States to deal with claims made under the American Convention on Human Rights and related OAS documents. A key principle in any properly functioning court system is that of judicial independence.
Judicial independence is intended to foster impartiality in judicial decision making.
This allows judges to decide their cases without interference or fear of retribution from either the executive or legislature. The Implications of Judicial Independence for Policy and Practice in the Provincial Courts of Canada by the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges. The Chief Justices of the Australian States and Territories have issued a Declaration of Principles of Judicial Independence . U.S. Judge Cynthia Hall gave an interesting interview on protecting judicial independence in the U.S . See also the Madrid Principles on the Relationship between the Media and Judicial Independence .