Violations of human rights occur in all parts of the world. Slavery is outlawed throughout the world, “1. No one shall be held in slavery or servitude” (Art 4 Sec1) yet it still exists in some places. Even in democratic countries like the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, where human rights are valued, there are cases of police brutality and other abuses.
The aim of this essay id to find out whether The Human Rights Act 1998 is ethical and whether is contradicts itself.
Because equality is what Human rights stand for, discrimination and oppression are the things that stand out when thinking of Human rights because these actions oppose human rights. Discrimination and oppression keeps the goal of equality from being accomplished because it makes one person better than the other. It can also give more power to one individual more than the other. In terms of human rights it dehumanizes the person or people group being discriminated. Anything that makes one person lesser than the other, does not respect human rights. Things such as racism and sexism is a direct opposition to human rights; along with things that are more subtle like an individual’s action, which in itself is pretty neutral in content and may be for the good of him/herself but may disturb the other person’s rights, so it also goes against human rights.
For example, an “artist’s” rights are for the artist alone, as long as the person is an artist he has those rights, which others have to take into account and comply with fully.
Art 2 Sec 1 states that “Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law.” And on the other hand abortion is legal. Babies are human beings therefore the law should apply to them as well.
Art 5 Sec 1 states “Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person.” in conjunction with Art 6 Sec 1 stating “In the determination of his civil rights and obligations or of any criminal charge against him, everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. These sections of the act were breached on the “Stag Case” where he was unfairly convicted of murdered and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. This mistake was only found out towards the end of his sentence and was only provided with monetary compensation.
Art 8 Sec 1 states that “1. Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.” And yet paparazzi have the right to take photos of celebrities without their consent. One example is Princess Diane’s case. Even though she has passed away a number of years ago, her children and family are still suffering because stories about her life and death are being published and still sell. People abuse the opportunity to make money ignoring the fact that this can hurt people’s feelings.
Art 9 Sec 1 states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance.”
There is a growing stigma towards Islam in the UK ever since the “September 11th” incident happened. Mosques are now being patrolled by police and public Muslims are being attacked on the streets with racist comments and are target to the police for “stop and search” operations. It is even being debated whether Muslim women should wear their veils in public.
This is a serious breach of the Act and yet the government is doing nothing to prevent these things from happening, in fact they are making matters worse by inflicting fear to the public by linking terrorisms to the Islam as a whole and not as a separate group. One should not be judged by someone else’s’ actions. Hitler was Christian and yet no one mentioned a “war on Christianity”.
Art 12 states that “Men and women of marriageable age have the right to marry and to found a family, according to the national laws governing the exercise of this right.”
Although Gay marriages have been made legal recently, this section does not protect them or mention them at all which also break the law under article 14 which states that “The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.”
In conclusion to all the above, I would like to state that The Human Rights Act only protects a certain groups of people that interest the British government. I find the whole act very hypocritical and not well enforced.
People should be treated as individuals according to their own circumstances and not as members of a certain group.
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