Individual's petition in International law

As a result of the U.N. Charter as well as of other changes in international law, the indivi dual has acquired a status which has trans formed him from an object of international compassion into a subject of international right. Now under the Optional Protocol to the U.N. Covenant on Civil and Political Rights individuals, who claim that any of their rights enumerated in the Covenant have been violated and who have exhausted all available domestic remedies, may submit written communication to the Human Rights Committee, for con sideration. Up to 1983, twenty-six of the sixty seven States which have acceded to or ratified the Covenant have accepted the competence of the Committee for dealing with the individual complaints by ratifying or acceding to the Optional Protocol. The Human Rights Com mittee is consisted of eighteen members of high moral character and recognised competence in the field of human rights with legal experience. The members of the Committee are elected and serve in their personal capacity. After election each member makes a solemn declaration that he will perform his functions impartially and conscientiously.

The author very scholarly examines all the up dated petitions made by individuals against the State Parties and decided by the Human Rights Committee.

In the present book, the main thrust has been to focus attention on the problem of direct access of individuals to the International Human Rights Committee. This is the first step albeit procedural by which the individual is well on his way to realizing his basic rights as against the sovereign will of the State.