HUMAN RIGHTS

Team : Thomas Jefferson

 HUMAN RIGHTS : IT’S
MEANING
◦ Human rights are moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behaviour.
◦ These rights are regularly protected as natural and legal rights in municipal and international law.
◦ They are commonly understood as inalienable, fundamental rights "to which a person is inherently
entitled simply because she or he is a human being" and which are "inherent in all human
beings",regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status.
◦ These rights are applicable everywhere and at every time in the sense of being universal and they
are egalitarian in the sense of being the same for everyone.
◦ They are regarded as requiring empathy and the rule of law and imposes an obligation on persons to
respect the human rights of others and it is generally considered that they should not be taken away
except as a result of due process based on specific circumstances.
 THE NEED FOR HUMANRIGHTS
◦ Moral vision
We need to set down human rights because they give us a moral vision of human nature and human dignity. They create a vision of what life would look like if everybody’s
basic humanity was equally respected and protected. If our needs for survival and protection were met, then we could focus on developing our individual and collective potential
through educational and cultural activities.
The reality is that war, violence, intolerance and poverty around the world result in daily violations of human dignity. Human rights remind us of what is possible and what is
due to people, even in the worst of situations.

◦ Political vision
Human rights also give us a political vision or an agenda for change. If we evaluate our own schools, communities or countries against the standards set out in the Declaration,
we can develop an agenda for social and political change. New policies and procedures, new development projects and new laws can be constructed in order to try to improve
the achievement of human rights for all.
No Commonwealth country can really claim to have fully implemented human rights – there is always room for improvements, like reducing the inequalities between the very
poor and the very wealthy, or between women and men.

◦ Protection
We need human rights for protection when our legal rights are violated by the state, and to encourage justice and fairness within our societies. Ironically, we may be most
aware of our human rights when they are being threatened or denied. Human rights can be matters of life and death.
For example, in many countries during times of unrest the police have been used to detain opponents of the government or to confiscate their property, even though such
actions may be against the written laws.
◦ Because of these three widely-accepted reasons, human rights are occasionally protected by raising both national and international awareness of human rights violations. This
can help draw attention to and resolve such situations, by creating moral pressure on governments. This kind of strategy has been successfully used by groups like Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch. During the period of Ian Smith’s illegal occupation of Southern Rhodesia, Amnesty International ran a concerted campaign against the
mistreatment of black activists by the state.
 INDIAN HUMAN RIGHTS
◦ National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Indiais an autonomous public body
constituted on 12 October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Ordinance of 28
September 1993.[1] It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
(TPHRA).[2] The NHRC is the National Human Rights Commission of India,[3] responsible for the
protection and promotion of human rights, defined by the Act as "rights relating to life, liberty,
equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the Constitution or embodied in the
International Covenants".
 HUMAN RIGHTS ACT
◦ The Human Rights Act 1998 is an Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom which received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998, and mostly came into force on
2 October 2000. Its aim was to incorporate into UK law the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. The Act makes a remedy for
breach of a Convention right available in UK courts, without the need to go to the European Court of Human Rights(ECtHR) in Strasbourg.
◦ It lets you defend your rights in courts and compels public organisations – including the Government, police and local councils – to treat everyone equally,
with fairness, dignity and respect.
◦
◦ What rights does the Human Rights Act protect?
◦ The right to life: protects your life, by law. The State is required to investigate suspicious deaths and deaths in custody.The prohibition of torture and inhuman
treatment: you should never be tortured or treated in an inhuman or degrading way, no matter what the situation.
◦ Protection against slavery and forced labour: you should not be treated like a slave or subjected to forced labour.The right to liberty and freedom: you have
the right to be free and the State can only imprison you with very good reason – for example, if you are convicted of a crime.
◦ The right to a fair trial and no punishment without law: you are innocent until proven guilty. If accused of a crime, you have the right to hear the evidence
against you in a court of law.
◦ Respect for privacy and family life and the right to marry: protects against unnecessary surveillance or intrusion into your life. You have the right to marry and
enjoy family relationships.
◦ Freedom of thought, religion and belief: you can believe what you like and practise your religion or beliefs.
◦ Free speech and peaceful protest: you have a right to speak freely and join with others peacefully, to express your views.
◦ No discrimination: everyone’s rights are equal. You should not be treated unfairly – because, for example, of your gender, race, disability, sexuality, religion or
age.
◦ Protection of property: protects against state interference with your possessions.The right to aneducation: means that no child can be denied an
education.The right to free elections: elections must be free and fair.
LANDMARK JUDGEMENTS IN INDIA ON HUMAN
RIGHTS
INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
LANDM ARK JUDGEMENT IN INTERNATIONAL
FORUM