IMPORTANT TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Human Rights
- rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin,
colour, religion, language, or any other status
- often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law , general
principles and other sources of international law
Ex.
the right to life
the right to respect for private and family life
the right to an education

TYPES OF HUMAN RIGHTS

1. Personal Rights
a. Right to Life
- a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not to be killed by another human being
The right to life is absolute. However, there are situations when it does not apply. A persons right to life
is not breached if they die when a public authority (such as the police) uses necessary force to:
-

stop them carrying out unlawful violence

make a lawful arrest
stop them escaping lawful detainment
stop a riot or uprising

b. Right to Ones Person

- basic entitlement guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United
Nations in 1948
- includes the right, if one is imprisoned unlawfully, to the remedy of habeas corpus (you should have
the body)
- can also be seen as an expansion of rights based on prohibitions of torture and cruel and unusual
punishment
c. Right to Ones Personality
- the right of an individual to control the commercial use of his or her name, image, likeness, or other
unequivocal aspects of one's identity
2. Religious and Moral Rights
a. Right to Education
- a universal entitlement to education recognized in the International Covenant on Economic, Social
and Cultural Rights
- includes the right to free, compulsory primary education for all, and ideally the progressive introduction
of free higher education
b. Right to Conscience
- the duty and right to educate our conscience correctly and habitually follow it
c. Right to Religion
- explicitly set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights, and other widely adhered to international human rights treaties and Declarations
- every woman, man, youth and child has the human right to freedom of thought, conscience and
religion
3. Social Rights
a. Right to Honor/Respect
- refers to the right to the credibility and esteem human persons enjoy in society
- human persons have a built-in natural right to at least a minimum respect from community members

b. Right to Free Expression/Freedom of Speech

- the right to communicate one's opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or
censorship
- the right of people to express their opinions publicly without governmental interference, subject to the
laws against libel, incitement to violence or rebellion, etc.
c. Right to Organize
- employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to
bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other mutual aid or
protection
4. Economic Rights
a. Right to Livelihood
- the human right of all women, men, youth and children to a dignified and productive livelihood which
enables them to live in peace, security, justice and dignity
- all people have the fundamental human right to fulfilling, dignified work and livelihood, including equal
access to land and productive resources, and to basic labor protections
The idea of 'right livelihood' is an ancient one. It embodies the principle that each person should
follow an honest occupation, which fully respects other people and the natural world. It means being
responsible for the consequences of our actions and taking only a fair share of the earth's resources.
b. Right to Property
- a human right for natural persons regarding their possessions
- acknowledges a right for natural and legal persons to "peaceful enjoyment of his possessions",
subject to the "general interest or to secure the payment of taxes" (Article 17 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights)
You have the right to enjoy your property peacefully. Property can include things like land,
houses, shares, licenses, leases, patents, money, a pension and certain types of welfare benefits.
A public authority cannot take away property or place restrictions on your use of your property
without very good reason. This right applies to companies as well as individuals.
5. Vocation Rights
a. Right to Choose Ones Way of Life
- freedom to pursue whatever profession an individual may choose
- every citizen has a right to select a profession or course of study, subject to fair, reasonable, and
equitable admission and academic requirements (Article XIV, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines)
The right to choose one's way of life as long as it does not involve harming others ought to be
taken as a fundamental right. Human beings have the right to choose for themselves the kind of life
which appeals to them: whether it is to found a family or to embrace the priesthood or the religious life.
b. Right to Marriage
- men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and to start a family
- the right to marry is subject to national laws regulating marriage, including laws that prohibit marriage
between certain types of people (for example close relatives)
(Article 16, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have
the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during
marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection
by society and the State.