Description
In Deference and Divergence in Regional Human Rights Courts, Maria A. Sanchez tackles a central tension in global governance: how international human rights courts balance their mandates with the imperative to respect national sovereignty. Despite having similar mandates, the world's three regional human rights courts--the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights--interpret their authority differently, leading to uneven regional enforcement of global human rights principles.
Maria A. Sanchez traces how the geopolitical dynamics of each court's founding moments have manifested in contemporary disparities across the courts' jurisprudences--focusing on disputes involving freedom of expression, personal integrity rights, and LGBTQ+ rights. Her findings expose a paradox: the courts that were founded in the most inhospitable environments for human rights have ended up asserting the most expansive authority over governments.
Deeply researched and insightful, Deference and Divergence in Regional Human Rights Courts speaks to when and how international institutions can leverage authority to intervene in domestic affairs.
Author: Maria A. Sanchez
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Published: 02/15/2026
Pages: 258
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.58d
ISBN13: 9781501785535
ISBN10: 1501785532
BISAC Categories:
- Law | International
- Political Science | International Relations | Diplomacy
- Political Science | Human Rights
About the Author
Maria Sanchez is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Colorado College.