This Practice Note provides an overview of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, where it comes from, how it was interpreted before the Treaty of Lisbon and, most importantly, how it is applied following the entry into force of the Treaty. In addition it explains and contrasts the Council of Europe’s Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the rulings of its Court (ECtHR) and how they interact with the EU as a whole, particularly with EU case law. It also makes reference to the situation of the UK with regard to the application of the Charter and the scope for divergence between UK and EU law in this area post-Brexit.