Novac Alexandra Livia,Antropologie,Seria I,Grupa I

Abstract

Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. I have chosen this subject because I consider that it is better to know not only human rights as a concept but also how they appear in a country ,for exemple in Great Britain.Also it is very important to study thoroughly the notion of human rights in order to have a vast knowledge about other countries and to understand how human rights are working.

Novac Alexandra Livia,Antropologie,Seria I,Grupa I

1.The history of Human Rights In Britain the idea that human beings possess a set of inherent and inalienable rights has deep roots which can be traced back over centuries.The earliest ancestor of contemporary human rights protection was the Assize of Clarendon, passed by Henry II in 1166. A precursor to trial by jury, the Assize paved the way for the abolition of trial by combat and trial by ordeal. Another of the earliest and most commonly cited milestones in the history of human rights in the UK is the Magna Carta an English Charter issued in 1215, which contained the writ of habeas corpus, allowing people to appeal against imprisonment without trial. The next milestone in the development of a set of protected rights came in the autumn of 1647 when a group of English political activists, the Levellers, produced An Agreement of the People, which set forth a collection of constitutional principles discussed at the famous Putney debates. The Levellers called for liberty of conscience in matters of religion, freedom from conscription and asked that laws apply equally to everyone: there must be no discrimination on grounds of tenure, estate, charter, degree, birth or place. While the demands of the Levellers were not immediately met, the next landmark is one of the most important documents in the political history of Britain: the Bill of Rights (1689), which put the notion of inalienable rights beyond doubt. An Act of Parliament after the Glorious Revolution, the Bill included: the freedom to petition the Monarch; the freedom from cruel and unusual punishments and the freedom from being fined without trial.

Novac Alexandra Livia,Antropologie,Seria I,Grupa I

2. The Magna Charta The Magna Carta, or Great Charter, was arguably the most significant early influence on the extensive historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law today in the English-speaking world.In 1215, after King John of England violated a number of ancient laws and customs by which England had been governed, his subjects forced him to sign the Magna Carta, which enumerates what later came to be thought of as human rights. Among them was the right of the church to be free from governmental interference, the rights of all free citizens to own and inherit property and to be protected from excessive taxes. It established the right of widows who owned property to choose not to remarry, and established principles of due process and equality before the law. It also contained provisions forbidding bribery and official misconduct. Widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the development of modern democracy, the Magna Carta was a crucial turning point in the struggle to establish freedom.

Magna Carta, or Great Charter, signed by the King of England in 1215, was a turning point in human rights.

Novac Alexandra Livia,Antropologie,Seria I,Grupa I

3. The Petition of Rights

The next recorded milestone in the development of human rights was the Petition of Right, produced in 1628 by the English Parliament and sent to Charles I as a statement of civil liberties. Refusal by Parliament to finance the kings unpopular foreign policy had caused his government to exact forced loans and to quarter troops in subjects houses as an economy measure. Arbitrary arrest and imprisonment for opposing these policies had produced in Parliament a violent hostility to Charles and to George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham. The Petition of Right, initiated by Sir Edward Coke, was based upon earlier statutes and charters and asserted four principles: (1) No taxes may be levied without consent of Parliament, (2) No subject may be imprisoned without cause shown (reaffirmation of the right of habeas corpus), (3) No soldiers may be quartered upon the citizenry, and (4) Martial law may not be used in time of peace.

Novac Alexandra Livia,Antropologie,Seria I,Grupa I

4. Freedom of expression and conscience Regarded as one of the most important human rights, the courts have stated that there is no difference between the protection offered by the common law, and that guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights. The freedom of expression of Members of Parliament is encouraged and guaranteed by parliamentary privilege. The right can be restricted where it is justified in the public interest, for example where national security concerns prevail or where countervailing interests of privacy, public order or religious tolerance must take priority. In addition, the law may also require that in certain situations information is kept confidential or may place a restriction on its dissemination. This is the case of the confidentiality and defamation laws, as well as the offence of contempt of court. Television, radio and other broadcast media are also subject to legal regulation .Freedom of conscience is related to the freedom of expression and allows an individual to hold certain views without fear of persecution, it also includes the freedom of religion.