Human Dignity Rights

Catalog description

Human Dignity Rights covers an emerging area of law as practiced and evolving in constitutional courts and otherwise throughout the world. First reflected in international law by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human dignity stands for the idea that every person has equal worth. The constitutions of nearly 170 countries acknowledge a right to dignity, including every constitution adopted or significantly amended in the last 50 years. Most multilateral regional agreements recognize the right to dignity. The constitutions of Montana and Puerto Rico do, too. What does legal recognition of the right to dignity mean? Constitutional recognition has resulted in thousands of court decisions upholding an array of rights, including those to free speech, trade, travel, employment, education, migration, health care, incarceration, reproduction, and climate stability, among others. We’ll study these developments and consider modern applications to emerging geopolitical, economic, and environmental challenges. Simply, dignity rights matter now more than ever. Graded.