2. Population: Human Rights
WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS?
• Fundamental rights that belong to every person, simply by
being a human being.
• Principles
• Universality
• Equality
• Non-discrimination
3. Population: Human Rights
HISTORY
• World War 2: Nazi atrocities
against specific groups
of people.
• United Nations founded in 1945 to maintain peace and
promote Human Rights
4. Population: Human Rights
30 HUMAN RIGHTS
• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Do you know your rights?
5. Population: Human Rights
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• Article 19 UDHR:
– “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and
expression; this right includes freedom to hold
opinions without interference and to seek, receive
and impart information and ideas through any
media and regardless of frontiers”
6. Population: Human Rights
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
• This freedom can be limited:
– Slander
– Hate speech
– Inciting violence
• But only in some cases because the law also
protects people against Government trying to
silence them.
7. Population: Human Rights
FREEDOM FROM TORTURE
• Article 5 UDHR:
– “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
8. Population: Human Rights
FREEDOM FROM TORTURE
• Inflicting severe pain or suffering, whether
mental or physical
• To get information or to punish
9. Population: Human Rights
TORTURE EXAMPLE
• The United States used torture on a large scale
against terrorism
suspects, claiming that
suspects had given up
their rights.
• At the same time
their prisoners
were also denied
the Right to a Fair Trial and the Right to be
Considered Innocent until Proven Guilty.
10. Population: Human Rights
MORE HUMAN RIGHTS
• Life and Liberty / Slavery / Privacy
• Education / Work / Leisure
• Language!
– No discrimination
– Fair trial
– Free speech
– Education
Dwi’n
siarad
Cymraeg!
11. Population: Human Rights
CATEGORIES OF RIGHTS
• Absolute Rights can never be limited
– Torture, slavery, discrimination
• Limited Rights can be limited for certain cases
– Liberty
• Qualified Rights can be limited in some
circumstances (state of emergency / war)
– Education, expression
12. Population: Human Rights
HUMAN RIGHTS AT HOME
• England & Wales: Human Rights Act (1998)
– Same rights as the ECHR, but easier to protect
• UK Court will decide if a right was violated
• After that you could go higher up to the
European Court of Human Rights
– 20,000 cases from 47 countries
– 1500 UK cases per year, 10 guilty verdicts
13. Population: Human Rights
HUMAN RIGHTS CONFLICTS IN THE UK
• Security vs Privacy
– Art. 3: Life, liberty and security
Government has to stop terrorists
– Art. 12: Privacy, family, home and correspondence
Government can’t intercept your communication
• Our safety is important, but so are our rights,
so where do we draw the line?
14. Population: Human Rights
FUTURE CHALLENGES
• Asylum for refugees: Some people flee
countries with terrible human rights, but they
are not always welcome in other countries
• LGBT rights: Often LGBT individuals are
discriminated against and lack rights
• Gender rights: to equal employment, equal
pay, equal access, etc.
