ETS 5 – Human Rights (Convention), 4.XI.1950
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Article 51 – Privileges and immunities of judges
The judges shall be entitled, during the exercise of their functions, to the privileges and
immunities provided for in Article 40 of the Statute of the Council of Europe and in the
agreements made thereunder.
Section III – Miscellaneous provisions
Article 52 – Inquiries by the Secretary General
On receipt of a request from the Secretary General of the Council of Europe any High
Contracting Party shall furnish an explanation of the manner in which its internal law
ensures the effective implementation of any of the provisions of the Convention.
Article 53 – Safeguard for existing human rights
Nothing in this Convention shall be construed as limiting or derogating from any of the
human rights and fundamental freedoms which may be ensured under the laws of any High
Contracting Party or under any other agreement to which it is a Party.
Article 54 – Powers of the Committee of Ministers
Nothing in this Convention shall prejudice the powers conferred on the Committee of
Ministers by the Statute of the Council of Europe.
Article 55 – Exclusion of other means of dispute settlement
The High Contracting Parties agree that, except by special agreement, they will not avail
themselves of treaties, conventions or declarations in force between them for the purpose of
submitting, by way of petition, a dispute arising out of the interpretation or application of this
Convention to a means of settlement other than those provided for in this Convention.
Article 56 – Territorial application
1
Any State may at the time of its ratification or at any time thereafter declare by notification
addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe that the present Convention
shall, subject to paragraph 4 of this Article, extend to all or any of the territories for whose
international relations it is responsible.
2
The Convention shall extend to the territory or territories named in the notification as from
the thirtieth day after the receipt of this notification by the Secretary General of the Council
of Europe.
3
The provisions of this Convention shall be applied in such territories with due regard,
however, to local requirements.
4
Any State which has made a declaration in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article may
at any time thereafter declare on behalf of one or more of the territories to which the
declaration relates that it accepts the competence of the Court to receive applications from
individuals, non-governmental organisations or groups of individuals as provided by
Article 34 of the Convention.
Article 57 – Reservations
1
Any State may, when signing this Convention or when depositing its instrument of
ratification, make a reservation in respect of any particular provision of the Convention to the
extent that any law then in force in its territory is not in conformity with the provision.
Reservations of a general character shall not be permitted under this article.
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