International Protection of Human Rights

International Protection of Human Rights – Ph.D. Aleksandra Różalska
Office hours: Tuesday 12.40 – 14.40 (room 42)
e-mail: rozalska@uni.lodz.pl

1st lecture 12.03.2011
Human rights - rights that belong on individual or group of individuals as a consequence of being human. They refer to a wide continuum of values or capabilities thought to enhance human agency and declared to be universal in character, in some sense equally claimed for all human beings.
The term “human rights”
  * Come into the wide use after WWII (relatively new)
  * Replaced “natural rights” – the easier phrase*
  * Came into use with creation of the UN
  * “the rights of men” – another expression that was proposed but rejected because of the word men
Key values shaping the human rights models & understanding:
  * Dignity
  * Freedom
  * Equality & Justice
  * Responsibilities / duties
Human rights
  * Refer to universal rights of human beings regardless of jurisdiction or other factors such as ethnicity, nationality, religion or sex
  * In the 20th century, human rights are understood as based on inherent human dignity, retaining their universal character **
*Because the concept of the natural law was being more and more criticized
** necessary & natural
  * Human rights are defined in international law & covenants as well as in domestic laws of many states
  * Fundamental moral basis for regulating the contemporary
Human Rights legislation
  * Security rights – that protect people against crimes such as murder, massacre, torture & rape
  * Liberty rights – that protect freedom in areas such as belief, religion, association, assembling & movement
  * Political rights – that protect the liberty to participate in politics by expressing themselves, protecting, participating
  * Due process rights – that protect against abuses of the legal system such as imprisonment without trial, secret trails & excessive punishments
  * Equality rights – that... [continues]

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