Civil and political rights

Ininternational law,civil and political rightsare thoserightsa person has over their ownautonomy(civil) and their right to have a part in theirgovernment(political).Civil and political rights are guaranteed to every person by theUniversal Declaration of Human Rights(UDHR) and theInternational Covenant on Civil and Political Rights(ICCPR).

Civil rights

See the main article:Civil rights

Universal civil rights include:

• Theright to life- Everyhuman beinghas right to their life. It is protected bylawand no one has a right to take another person's lifearbitrarily.This means without a legal reason.
• Theright to a fair trial- Every person has a right to a fair trial.They have the right to be equal before courts and tribunals.They have a right to a fair and public trial before a competent and impartial court.
• Thefreedom from torture- Every person has the right to be free from torture.They have the right to be free of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
• Thefreedom of speech- Article 19 of the ICCPRguaranteesthe right tofree expression.But it is aderogable right,meaning it can beregulatedif that regulation serves a vital public interest.An example is theUS Supreme CourtJusticeOliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.in the caseSchenck v. United States(1919). The case was about limiting free speech duringwartimeto serve the greater good. He is famously quoted as saying: "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic."
• Theright to privacy- Article 17 of the ICCPR protects all persons from anyinterference,unlawfulorarbitrary,with their "privacy, family, home orcorrespondence."
• The rights oflibertyandsecurity- Article 9(1) of the ICCPR uses the expression "Liberty and security of the person."It says no one may be arbitrarilyarrestedor detained. No one may havetheir libertytaken away except bylawful process.
• Theright of asylum- When the UDHR was first drafted, one of the rights granted was the right to enjoy asylum. This status right was included with the right to a nationality and the right to be recognized before the law.
• The rightswere made in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

Political rights

Political rights include:

• The right tonatural justice- Includes the principals of a fair hearing. It is also calledAudi alteram partem.Latinfor "hear the other side".
• The right todue process- The right to due process incriminal proceedingsunder the law.Currently it is not a derogable right(see freedom of speech above).
• The right to seeklegal redress- This is a right all people have to the court system. It is the right to bring alawsuitagainst another person,organizationorgovernment.
• The right toPolitical participation- A right granted UDHR.It states: "Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives."
• Theright to assemble- Theright of assemblyis provided by the UDHR.It says: "Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association". It adds: "No one may be compelled to belong to an association".
• Theright to petition- This is a right to complain about injustices and to have those complaints heard. Several international conventions provide the right to petition to individuals.
• Theright of self-defense- This applies to persons and is a right to defend themselves against immediate harm. It applies when a person is charged with a crime.It also applies to collective self-defense against attack.
• Theright to vote- This was first granted by the UDHR.The ICCPR expanded this right to include the rights to vote, to beelected,to vote bysecret ballotanduniversal suffrage(the right for all adults to vote regardless of race or sex).

Other page

• Civil rights movement(worldwide)
• Civil Rights Movement(in case ofUnited States)